Men tempted to Evil ly their own Lufis. 43 thame and confufion as guilty ; and it is SE R M. only a right government of our own fpirits, H. the fprings of action within us, which will `° be an effectual fecurity againft fin for the future. The queftion concerning the origin of moral evil abftraftly, is a very arduous one, of an high nature, and embarraffed with great difficulties. How came fuch a thing into the world, fence the one fupreme governor is infinitely good, fence the being of every thing that is in the whole feries of caufes and effects in the univerfe, was in his power to have prevented, and within the reach of his knowledge to forefee ? Parti- cularly, why was man made with fuch weaknefs in a frail tabernacle of flefh and blood, which not only giveth pain in its decays, crampeth the intellectual powers of the mind, and hindereth its progrefs in knowledge and fpiritual enjoyments ; but, which is word of all, tempteth it to fin, tempteth fo, that nothing elfe can do it fo powerfully, not the fubtileft infernal fpirit ; nay, fo that men are apt to think its temp- tations irrefiftible, and their very fins a fort of conftitutional infelicities ? Since this is mentioned, and it is what we very naturally fall into, leading to very dangerous miftakes, (hall offer force things upon it very briefly, which
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=