36 Men tempted to Evilly their own LuJls. S E R M. and that this is a power often exerted by us, II. The moft vehement defires of meat and `"` drink are refifted upon an apprehenfion of danger; the love of money, and the love of honour, are checked, and their ftrongeft folicitations fometimes utterly denied, thro' the fuperior force of contrary paíiìóns, or upon motives of confcience. Are not we confcious of a power to apply the attention of our minds to motives which urge to ac tions directly oppofite to thofe which our appetites tempt us to, or to a refolved for- bearance of thofe actions ; and do not our hearts often reproach us for not thus enga- ging our attention ? All which clearly fhew- eth that we are under no conftraint by our own lufts, and that temptation only, in the ftriéteft and molt proper fenfe, proceedeth from them, not fm itfelf .neceffarily, nor any otherwife than by an abufe of our free- agency, by a voluntary, and therefore cri- minal confent. Not only fo, but the op- pofite affections, the virtuous and good, though they do not neceffarily produce the praEtice of virtue (we find ourfelves able to refill them, and very, often do it) yet are they of greater force in the human conftitu- tion than the lower inclinations, or, what St. Paul calleth the law of the mind, is fu- perior
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