r®® The Life of Faith. 555 punifhment for (bane former fin (for how could a rout not in- dividuate fin ?) And though fenfitive fell- love, which is the principle of fell prcfervation, be no fin it felt; nor doth grace deftroy it ; yet the inordinacyofit is the fumm and root of all pofitive fin, and an Maseruof privative fin : And this infeparablefenfitive [elf love, was made to be more under the power of reafrn, and to be ruled by it, than nowwe find it in any the molt fandified perfon; even as Abrahams love of the life ofhis only Son, was to be fubjet$ to his Faith. And holincfs lyeth more in tbia fubjeflion, than molt mew well underhand. And the inordinacy of this perfonal felf- love, hath fo ftrangely perverted the mind it fell, that it is not only very hard toconvince men of the evil ofany fe/fnfh prin- eiples ()rho; but it greatly blindcth theta, as to all duties of publick intereft, and focial nature : Yea and maketh them afraid of Heaven it (elf ; where the union of fouls will be as much meter than now it is, as their Leve will be greater and more perfect : And though it will not be by any ceffadon ofperfosral individuation, and by falling into one univerfal foul ; yet Ferree, Lovewill makethe union neerer than we who have no expe- rience of it, can pofliblynow comprehend. (And when we feel the firongeff Love to a friend, dcfiring the ncerth union, we have thebelt help to underhand it.) But men that feel nor the divine andholy love, are by inordinate felf-love, and abufe sf individuation, afraid of thehie to come, left the union fhould be fogreat as to lofe their individuation, or prejudice their perfonat divided interefts. Yea true believers, fo far as their holy Love is weak, and their inordinate fenfitive fell love is yet too thong, axe from hence afraid of another world, when they fcarce know why ; but indeed it is much fromthis difcafe ; which maketh men fill defire their primal felicity, too partially, and in a dividedway, and tobe afraid oflofing their perfonality orpropriety, by too near a union and communion of fouls. Aaaa 2 CHAI'.
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