112 The Harmony of tbe Divine Attributes ~ z. When prefent things are unfatisfa8:ory, he entertains himfelf with Hope: for that Chap. 4· being terminated on a future Obje8:,wluch is of a double nature, the Mind attends to thofe ~Argt~ments which produce a pleafant belief, to find that in feveral ObjrJ!,, which it cannot in any fingle one, and to make up in nrtm.ber, what is wanting ih mea{me, whereas the prefent is manifell:, and takes away all liberty of thinbng. Upon this ground Senfual flcafure is more in Expe~IMJ?n than Frmtton: For Hope b~ a ~1arvel!o~s Encbantment, not only ma~{CS that wluch Js future prefent, but reprefcntmg JJ1 one \'ICW that which cannot be enJoyed but in the Intervals of Time; it unites all the fucceflive Parts in one Peint, fo that what is divided and le!Ten'd in the Fruition, which is always gradual is offi:r'd at once and entire. Thus Man carnal, deceived by the imperfe8:.Light of Fan~y, and the falfeGiafs of Hope, choofes a Ft/Jittom Felicity. Mm >valks tn a v.<tn fhen•, Pfal. 3. 6. His ortginal Error bath produc'd this in its own Image. And although rhe complacency he takes in fenfual Obje/Js, is like the Joy of a diftra8:ed Perfon, the !lfue of Folly a?d J!!ttjion, and _Experience difcovers rh~ Deceit that _is in them ; as fmelling to an ar· tificial Rofe _undeceives the Ey~ ; yet he Will em~racc h1~ Error. 1l1an is in a voluntary Dream, whtch_ reprefe~ts to lum the_ Worl~ as hts_Happmcfs, and when he is awakened, ~:ij~~~~1r.aga~~11;1~h~~:rgf~~~eb~e~~~v~~o;h~~. ~r:~~~~~ 1r~~h~;,~~aA~t t~~~~e~v;; ~~: ~·~~:;~ nefs of thy Way, yet {aideft thou not, thtre i1 no Hope: that is, Thou art tired in the chafe of Sat'i.sfa8:ion from one. thing to another, yet thou wouldft r.ot give over, but fiill pur· fueft thofe fbadows wluch can never be broug~1t nearer to the~. And the true Re::~ fan of it is, that in the human Nature, there is an m:-m(e and contmual D~fire of Plea\ure without which Life it felf hath no SatisfaC\ion. For Life confi{hng in the operations of the Soul,eithe_r the exte~nal of the Sen{e~7" or the iJJ.tcmal of the Mind, ~ti_s fweetned by thofe Delights wluch are fmtable to them. So that 1f all pleaf~nt Operattons ccafe without poffibility of returning, Death is more defirable than Life. And in the corrupt State there is fo finS: an Alltance between the Flcfh and Spmt, that there IS but one Appettte b~twecn them, and that is of the Flefh. All the Defigns and Endeavours of the carnal Man are by fit means to obtain fatisfa8:ion to his Sen(is ' as if the Contentment of the Flefh and the Happinefs of the Soul were the fame thing; or as if the Soul were to die with the Body, and with both, all Hopes and Feari, all Joys and Sor~ows were at an end. The F!efh is now grown abfolute, and hath acqmr'd a pcrfe8: Empire, and taken a full poffeffion of all the Faculties. For this reafon the ApoJI!e tellsus, Rom. 8. 7,8. They that are in the Flejb,cannot pleafe GoJ• .And the c<trnat f!Vr/J u Enmity tCgamft God, 'tu not j'f,bjtft, nuther c11n tt ,be. 'Tts infnar'd in the Cords of Concttpifoence, and cannot recover it felf from its fooli01 Bondage. But that doth not Jeffen the Guilt; which will appear by confidering there is a twofold !•potence, t. There is a natflral Impotmce which prote8:s from the feverity of J uftice. No Man is bound to flop the Srm in its cortr{e, or to remove Moun~nins : For the human Nature ;o·,~~~veN~~~~h~ r~:~' :Oj~?~~i~o:f,i~~ tu~r~.\;~~~gMan~~~d' f~e~;~c~~~~;;o~v!:~~~~~~~~ Power to perform. 2. There is a moral lmpotmce, which arifes from a perverfe difpofition of the Will, aod is joyn'd with a delight in Sin, and a ftrong averfion from the holy Commands of God ; and the more deep and inveterate thxs is, the more_ worthy 'tis of Punifbment. A.. riJfot!e aifcrts, Ethic. l· That thofe who cont~·aEt invinc1ble_ Habits by Cufrom, are inex~ cufable, though they cannot abfiain from Evtl• . For fince ltberty confifts in doing what one wills, this Impoffibility doth not deftroy L1berty; the Depravatton of the Faculties doth not hinder thetr 'z.:oluntt~ry Operauons. The Vnrlerflandmg cancel VC~, the YVt!l choo~ ;~d t:~~!.ft::r;ec~~~~f~oZe~~r~ s!~~:~fdtf,~"~wrhatF~;u:,·~s~~~'~'~~~~;~: ~i~~e~i: ftcmper'd by the Diforder of the Images in his Fancy, it doth not Judge_ aright, fo that the Aftion is involuntary, and therefore ~ot c'!lpable. But there Is a valt ~1herence between the Caufes of Diffraflion, and thofe :vh1ch mdu~e a carnal Man to Sm. The Jirft are feated in the Diflcmper of t_he Bram, over whtCh the_ '1'tll hath n? ~0\\:er : Whereas there fhould be a regular Subje8:ion of the lower ~PP"'" to the Wlil enhghtened and dire8:ed by the Mind. The Wtl'. it felf is corrupted and brou~ht 11110 Captivity by things pleafing to the lower Facu!tJes : It cannot clifintang!c _1t felt, but _Its Impotence hes in its Obftinacy. This is th~ meanmg of St. Peter, fpcalong con~_ernmg unclean Peri"?a~it ;{~~c'';l~tE~l;e~,~~~~~~ffh~~;~~(~c;:d t!?ct';[o7~' th~1's[;i~7:u~:";cp:;;~~'~ 9Ma::'•;~ be
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