> o& Of God's Government, hard to fay either howgreat that Sinmay be (and fo whether of Luft, of Pride, of Covetoufners, may ftand with Grace, in that preva- lency) or yet, howmany dins may be fo habitually prevalent, in a fan- aified man. But if no one, what (hall thofe think of themfelves that live in the daily at of fmaller Sins before-mentioned ? And that they erre whotell us that all' Sin is equally mortified in the Habit, common experience fully proveth. But fuch men ufe not to diftinguith be- tween the General habit of Love to Goodand Hatred to evil (which is as the trunkofthe Tree to thebranches (which may have their particular Cankers and Difeafes) and is indeed VirtuallyaHabit of all Good, and againft all Evil); and theparticular Habits of Good and Evil which are alto found ineverySoul. 304. Yea thedifficulty is yet greater, by our ignorance of the very natureof a Habit ofthe will, orof that Inclination of it toGoodor Evil which is antecedent tothe A& : which, he that hath read theSchoolmen and Metaphyricks, or ever well ftudyed it himfelf, will difcern to be tantum nonout of thereach of our underttandings. That it is a Difpo- fitivepromptitude to Aeá, we feel : But whether that Difpofition be it Pelf a ferret unobferved Immanent 411, difpofing tothe more open perceptible Aít 5 (for theSoul is never out of Alion, and certainly hath at one intrant feveral A&s, of which that define is oft unobferved, and yet molt powerful ? As a Traveller that is taken up with other thoughts and talk would never hold on his way if the end were not atrually intended, though he feel it not); or whether it be the Natural Inclina- tion of the Will corroborated ? and what that Inclination is? whether it lie much in a Receptive difpofition of the aéred faculties, by which they are frill ready to receive theAâive motion of the Agent power; as the Receptivity of the fuel caufeth the greatnefs and conflancy of a Same ; or the opening of the window, the Ihining in of the Sun, or the compofition of the adapted wheels, caufeth the Clock or Watch to be eafilyand trulymoved by thepoileor fpring 5 or what elfe it is that we call a Habit, is not foeafily known as unftudied confident Di- fputers think : So that judicious Mr. Truman (Trait. of Impaten. Nat. &Mor.) feemed to defpair of clear underftanding it. And whetheran Infants Principle ofHolinefe, be fuidmorale, which never came from any a&, nor is theparticular Habit ofany ale, any more than the Inclinationaturalis ad bonum qua bonum ? with abundance of other difficulties about Habits 5 Thefe all make our cafe the harderto be refolved. SECT. XXI. The folution ofall theformer difficulties, in part. 305. Of all thefe difficulties , I have no better folution (betides what is aforefaid) than as followeth. r. That a Difpofitive Inclination of the Willto Godand alual Holinefs, is like to the Inclinatio naturalis ad bonumer fielicitatem, laving that it is not ours aborigine inour lapfed frate, and that it is more moveable and feparable from the Soul; And fo is quiddam nature though not quadam natura, called, The Divine and new nature in us; and is to the Soul what Health is to the man; And is thegreat MbralPrinciple withinus 5 and is acceptable to God as being the
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