Queffionf,andCafesofConfcience Chap. 42. by refraining from falling into evil!, or being fallen, to rife again by tepen- VI. tance. Sixthly; They differ in refpe& of time : For the combate between the Fle and Spirit begins at our regeneration, andnot before ; and being begun, its confiant, and continues to the end ofour lives,though it may have tome inter- miffions in refpe&of fence and feeling : But the conflit of Confcience oft times begins fo foon as we have theufe of reafon, receiving common notions from the light of nature ; but its neither confiant , nor continual! , but only by pars and fitsupon the occalionof tome great fin committed, or about tobe a&- ed : Nor yet al vayes !ailing to the end of our lives : For ofttimes by cuflome in fin,the Confcience becomes dead, and feared, that it takes no notice of fin, nor o;ppofes the will, and affe&ions,but fullers them to run headlong to all man- ner ofwickednefs. tie{}, Whether is this confilk between the flefh andSpirit, in all the rege- aerate ? Anfw; It is in all the regenerate that have received Spirituali illumination, and have the ufe of reafon, and underflanding,being poffeffed of Gods fan&i- fying graces, not only in the habits thereof , but in their a&s, and opera- tions. ueft.'what are wets think,of infants, and idiots ? Anfw. Such of them asbelong to (,cdsEle&ion, he worketh in them for their juflification,and fanetification after an extraordinary, fecret , and wonderful( manner, applyingChrifl to them, his righteoufnefs, obedience , and venue of hisdeath,andrefurre&ion by his holy Spirit, who all-fufficicntlyfupplies unto them the defer of all inferiour inliruments , and means , and hereby purgeth them from the guilt , punifhment , and corruption of their fins. Now in thefe there cannot a&uallybe this confli &, becaufe they havenot the as and operations offpiritual graces, but only the feeds of them : yet even in them , through fpirituall regeneration, there may be force kindofconfli& between the Spirit arid the flefh , the feed ofgrace, and of corruption firiving one againfl another. But this is meant of Elea Infants dying in their infan- cy. Qef}. Whether is this conffiet in all the regenerate in like manner , and mea- fare ?. Anfw. It isnot, but diverflyas it pleafeth the Lord to glorifie himfelf in the manifeflation ofhiswifdom, goodnefs, and omnipotency, either by giving his fervants a greater meafureof flrength, and grace, whereby they obtain an eafie vie}ory ; or a fcanter proportion ofit, bywhich notwithf}andtng they fhall as certainly, though not fo fpeedily overcome, !hewing hisgreater power in their greatef}weaknefs, a Cor. 52.9. weft. Is not this conyift fometimes meal!,, in flrengChriflisms? Anfw. Yes, for fometimes through pride, and felf-love, they are apt to forget themfelves, and being fwoln up intheir own conceits, to robGod of his glory , by arrogating force part of thepraife oftheir fpiritual f}rength, and vielorres to themfelves, whereupon the Lord leaves themby fpirituall defertions unto their own abilities,and lets loofe their enemies to affault them ; In which cafe they are utterlyunable to (land in the leaf}conflit , but are fhamefully foiled, and ledcaptive of fin, aswe fee in the exampleof Noah, Lor,feb, David,Peter,&c. and thenbeing difcouraged, theycomplain with Job, Chap. 6.4. That God op pofeth them as amichty enemy, &c. and with David, Pfal. z2. t. anct-77.7, S. and with the Church, Ifa.63 t 7.and64.9and then the flefh proudly fwells, & triumphs over the Spirit, faymg, Is this the man that tookgod for his hope; But though God hath withdrawn himfelf a little, that the fpirituall man might the more earneflly Peekhim , yet doth he notutterly forfake his fervants , and ac is
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