Of Natural, Moral, and Covil Liberty. 59 erted the power we are confcious of in S E x Me fufpending a determination, till the motives III. of it had been duly confidered. But as `^w's God hath written the work of his law upon our hearts, in fo plain and legible charac- ters, that we cannot offend againft the prin- cipal parts of our duty, without confcience's bearing witnefs againft us; to comply with what the apoille James calleth the concep- tions of lu/l, or the motions of appetite and paffion, in defiance of its exprefs and par- ticular admonitions, is a more heinous, be- caufe it is a wilful tranfgreffion of the di- vine law and abufe of liberty, than any error arifing from mere ignorance or in- advertency can be : And by fuch indulgen- cies frequently repeated, vicious habits are contra&ed, the lower appetites become im- petuous, and paffions exorbitant. This is what experience teacheth all men who care- fully refle& on themfelves, and obferve the vaft difference which there is in the cha- ra&ers and difpolitions of mankind. Can any one be ignorant that our tempers and prevailing inclinations are in a great meafure formed by cuftom, that by an habitual courfe of a &ion, a pronenefs to it, and fa- cility in it are acquired ; that this becometh a principle vehemently urging to actions, which
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