228 The /éventh Sign PART III. Indeed Allowances mull be made for the natural Temper : Con- verfion don't entirely root out the natural Temper : Thofe Sins which a Man by his natural Conftitution was moft inclined to before his Conversion, he may be moft apt to fall into Bill. But yet Con- verfion will make a great Alteration even with Refpea to thefe Sins. Tho' Grace, while imperfect, don't root out an evil natural Tern- per ; yet it is of great Power and Efficacy with refpea to it, to cor- rea it. The Change that is wrought in Converfion, is an univerfal Change : Grace changes a Man with refpea to whatever is tinful in him : The old Man is put off and the new Man put on : They are fanaified throughout : And the Man becomes a new Creature ; old Things are pafs'd away, and all Things are become new : All Sin is mortified ; Conftitution Sins, as well as others. If a Man before his Converfion, was by his natural Conftitution, efpecially inclined to Lafcivioufnefs, or Drunkennefs, or Malicioufnefs ; converting Grace will make a great Alteration in him, with refpea to thefe evil Difpofitions ; fo that however he may be Rill molt in Danger of there Sins, yet they fhall no longer have Dominion over him,; nor will they any more be properly his Chara&er. Yea, true Repentance does in fome Refpeas, efpecially turn aMan againft his own Iniquity ; that wherein he has been molt guilty, and has chiefly dithonoured- God. He that forfakes other Sins, but faves his leading Sin, the Ini- quity he is chiefly inclined to ; is like Saul, when fent againft God's Enemies the flinalekites, with a aria Charge to fave none of them alive, but utterly to deftroy them, fmall and great ; who utterly deftroy'd inferiour People, but faved the King, the chief of 'em all, alive. Some foolifhly make it an Argument in Favour of their Difcove- ries and Affe&ions, that when they are gone, they are left wholly without any Life or Senfe, or any Thing beyond what they had be- ore. They think it an Evidence that what they experienced was wholly of God, and not of themfelves ; becaufe ( fay they ) when God is departed, all is gone ; they can fee and feel nothing, and are no better than they ufed to be. 'Tis very true that all Grace and Goodnefs in the Hearts of the Saints is entirely fromGod ; and they are univerfally and immedi- ately dependent on him for it. But yet thefe Perfons are miflaken, as to the Manner of God's communicating himfelf and his holy Spi- rit, in imparting laving Grace to the Soul. He gives his Spirit to be united to the Faculties of the Soul, and to dwell there after the Manner of a Principle of Nature ; fo that the Soul, in being indued with Grace, is indued with a new Nature : But Nature is an abiding Thing. All the Exercifes of Grace are entirely from Chrift : But thofe Exercifes are not from Chrift, as fomething that is alive, moves and flirs fomething that is without Life, and yet remains without Life e
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