6o Of Natural, Moral, and Civil Liberïy; S E R M. which nature hath left us even indifferent to; III. but addeth great force to the inftinfts of na- `"`y...1 ture ; that the tendency of it is to make us forgetful of, or infenfible to, contrary mo- tives; and that by this faculty of habits, which is an important part of our coníli- tution, the human powers are carried to their higheft improvement, and moil com- pleat exercife ; good men arrive at the perfeftion of virtue, and bad men at the confummation of wickednefs. But what I principally obferve to the prefent purpofe is, that by bad habits, the rational liberty of man may be, and often is, greatly diminifh- ed, nay, almoll wholly loft ; the mind be- becometh impotent, the order of nature reverted, its harmony broken ; for the em- pire of reafon and confcience, the only confervator of original freedom and inward tranquillity, is ufurped by tyrants within, the vices of intemperance, avarice, ambi- tion, cowardice, revenge, and others like them, enflaving the foul, degrading the man and rendering him unhappy, becaufe they leave the higher powers which can never be totally extinguifhed, no (hare in the di- reélion of his affairs, but inílead of it only to make ineffeEtual remonftrances againft his mifcondu ul, which are extreamly pain- ful.
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