374- The jure Trial of Vprightnefs. _ 2, I come to fho\V h?w the pecul~ar Sin may be difcovercd from its EffeCts, and the Difcover.,y from hence ts more fenlible, than fro~ the Caufcs: For ~ivine Grace may controul the Efficac:r of the Caufes, that a Chrifhan may abhor the Sm to \Vhich rhcrc i)tC fl:rong Te1npranons, but Effects emergent from inward Lufis, difcorer the habitLtal frame of the Heart. 1. ,The Sin rhat is frequently and eaftly committed; and dil!iculrly retracted, is a Mans pecuhar Stn. . 1. E'requem!y. Single _ A~s.do not denominate a Perfon, bur Habits that. proc~cd from repeated A~s, are charaCten(hcal. Noah' s fingle Ad: of Drunkcnnefs, wluc_h 1mght proceed from h1s Ignorance of the firengrh of the Winc, or the weaknefS of Ius Brain did not argue his being addicted to it : but frequent relapfes into that Sin, dcnomina~cs a Man a Drunkard. A train of fmful Actions is from a Difpofttion firongly bent to rhem l_f a Man be o~ a cho~erick Nature, Anger will be his quotidian; if of a SangUine, Jiccn~ uous l\1irrh WJ!_l be _Ius ,t~rtia_n. 'Tis the Character of ~an in his unrcgener~re polluted ~rate) he commits Sm, ns lus Trade; and as any parncular Lull: has domtnion in his Hea~t, f~ch is the Courfe of his Life. When the Jnclinati~n leads to a Calling) a Man m::~l~.~~~t~;, c~~l~::~~~u; ~h~; :~;o~d~n;~~krh~o~~~~~~~g~~· ;,:~d :~;r~~l~~:.~~~"f; the confhnr prachce of Sm. We may as fu rely judge of the achvc Powers of the Soul by the Actions that proceed from rh;m, as of rhe vigour of the Sap in the Root, by the number of ~he ~nut~ of rhe T~ee. Tts _fatd of _the Scoffers, tl;ey walk after tbeiro/Vn Lujls .- Wluch 1111phes the habitual pract1ee of Sm, the Licenfo and Pleafurc they rake in a carnal Courfe. 2. t he Sin that is ealily committed is oUr own. As the Divine Nature in a Sainr makes him fit for every good Work, but efpecially for the Exercife of that Grace that is eminently regent in his Heart, upon the fidl: Call of ConfCiencc, he applies himfclf to his Duty: So the corrupt Nature prepares Men for evil Works, and its ipccia1 Tendency is prclenrly inAam'd by a fuitabl e Object. This Indication is clear, with relped to ~fe as~!n~~r~;~o~ef~~~~~yl:n~o~~g:fro~~Pi~ti~~ls~ v~}~~;n~~~li~~~~~n.an~~~~d~c~~: ~~;·~ goodly Babylonifh Garment and a Wedge of Gold, he covered them and rook them: the immediate rife of h~s Affection. upon the ~refence of the _O~jcd:, his pref_i.unpruous Sacrilege, hotw it~lflandmg the rernblc !nterdtct, was a convmctng fign of Ius worl~ly Mind. So 'tis fatd of the young Man 111 the PrtnJerbs, that was enticed by the BlandJfh· mcnts of the Harlot, he went jlrait1~ay after her. When th~ alluring Object. prcfenrly inveigles the Scnfcs, and eaftly obtams the confcnt of the W1ll, we may truly mfcr what .Pallion _reigns in the Heart. So a Man that is foon angry, wh?fc Pallioh like Tinder rakes fire; at a Spark, a fmall Occafion may under!l:and what lus Nature is. A Man, of a cool Sp_irit, of tn~ek ~nd mortified Paffioils, is nOt ~a~Jy inccnfed. . . , l· The Sm that is dtl!icultly retracted. There arc Pnnc1ples of Confc1ence mlapsd Nature, concerning Good and Evil that cannot be ra~ed out, and are nnprov'd and hctght· nc;d by revealed Light; from hence there is often an_ internal ConAiCl: between the con~ vinced Mind, and the corrupt Heart: But the darltng !-ufi conrrouls the Efficacy ,of tllOfC Principles, for Narure and Cuf\om are of all rlungs mofl hardly to be changd. Properties inherent In the narute of things arc i_nfeparable : ~h. us wallowing in the M1rc is natural to a Swine, and though wafh'd, wtll return to It. When a Lufr is deeply rooted in Nature, Men cannot ceafe from Sin. lVe have a fad Infrancc of this in S.Aufti», before his inrire and bleffed Converfion. He declares in his Confeffions, how exrrcatti hard it was to divorce himfelf from fenfual Delights; they were incarnated in his Nature, ~~y,~a:t~~ ~;~~~~sr!ffc~!~::;,, a~~~~~ ~~hr~r;~~rr%:~n:h~.;:a!ea~h~ A;:;"!,;';: 1:;:; In rhe vigour of his Age, the ftnning Seafon, he was avcrfe to be weaned from thofe poifonous Breafl:s. 'Till Divine _Grace c_ha:ng'd his Nature, he could never rcfcuc him· !elf from the Intanglements of hts Iniquity. Cufl:om in Sifl ufually proceeds from Inclination; and with as firong a fway deter· mi nes the corrupt Wi ~l as ~rigin~l Nature. Can t!Je Etbiop_ian change his Skin, a~d tlrt Leopari his Spot5? tiJCfJ may you n•ho are accuflon:'t! to do Evtl do Good. Dread_ful dt.fficul· ry! fomc habitual Sinners are fecure and ftuptd, and of fuch depraved obfbnacy, rhar they will not rcfdlye to clea_nfe thenifelve~ from t~1cir Defil?menrs. In ~thers there_ arc fOmc Spark~ of re!tg_ious Fear; b~1t _notwtthft:andmg ~he St~ngs_ o~ Con~ctence, conrmu~ in rhe practice of Sm. The charnupg Lufl fo long mdulg d, IS •mpenous a?d pcrcmp tory; and till Ommpotent Grace unbm~s the Charm, they are never rcl_eas d from r_hc Circle of confeffing their Sins when thctr Delires· are f.1t-ed, and committing rhcm ~~t\~
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