rvfn Exp~(ition of tiJe EpifUe ~r wdl ~o the Order of the caufality of Sin, how it comcth forth into action as to ~· the SubjeLl: of thefe Lufl:s. ' Obferv. 2. As to this you mufl: know, That altho Man is f•llen, yet the Order of Nature in the fubordination of the Faculties one to another, fland as they did, work as they did. The mofl bn1tifh Lufl that is, the Underflanding and the Will rnufl: concur and confent, ere it is fulfilled; only the firfl Motion doth not come firfl: from the Mind and ~he ~ill. And there is this difference bo;tween the workings of Grace and Sm, 111 th1s refpea, that all the workmgs of Grace bcgm with the i\'ind ; for all the Mottons of Grace, they mufl arife from the apprchenfions of FJith in the Underflanding, and fo they pafs to All:ion ; and fo fpiritual Af. fcll:ions arc moved in us. And therefore it is called, the Law of the Mind, in Ro?Jt. 7· It begins there, and the Underflanding (like a Burning·glaG, that takes in the Beams of the Sun,) receiving the Beams of fpiritual things, it infta– rneri, and ferteth on fire the Affefrions with them. But now, if you come to Lufis and Corruption, they begin oftentimes in the fenfual part; and therefore in RonJ. 7· are calle~ oppofitely the Law of the Members: And they propound firfl, yet fo, as fhll the Order of Nature, m refpeU to outward Afriob, remains · that the Underflanding and Will mufl firfl give their confcnt. In Man's pur~ fiate, as now in our regenerate condition, fo far as we arc regenerate; the Un– eerflanding and the Will lead on to every ACtion ; but in the corrupt flare, ufu– ally the Affell:ions begin to lead ; yet fo, as until the derflandinJ:~ and the Will do confent, the Man proceeds not to All:ion. The difference of thefc two may be exprdied by thofe ways of Government : the one, when ( fi1ppo0) in a Corporation, there fhould not a Motion pafs the Common·Council, but it mufl: come from the Mayor and Aldermen, with their Confcms firfl; the other, that Motion muft come from the Vulgar Sort firfl: So it is in the corrupt !late, all cometl1 from btlow, or at leaf!, much of all the Afrions in which Men live in Sin, they come fi·om the fenfual Dtfires, and gain the confcnt of the Will. And then if you ask the reafon, why that the Underlbnding and Will do al– fent to fuch Luflg, as it receiveth not immediatly? The reafon is this : Becaufe the Underflanding and the Will know no better ; they arc cut off from God, and being cut off from God, they mufl give confent : for the Man is for plea– flue, and the Will is for pleafure, and fo is the Underflanding; therefore what pleafeth the Man, the Underflanding approveth for befl, and fo doth the Will _ too, tho not befl in it felf, yet befl for the Man: And, J!l!!ali< q11ifq•e ejl,talhfinis ei videt11r; as is the Man, fi1ch is his end: as he is difpofed in himfelf, fuch is his end in working ; every Man works for his end, and look what the Man is, fudo is his end. As now, a Man in a Sicknefs defireth Drink; R.eafon and Under– ftanding tell him it is ill and naught ; but yet the Underflanding confents and approves it: why ? becaufc as the Man is affctl:ed, fuch is his end and happinefs, that is judged befl, which fuiteth the Man. And heJJce now all the fcnfual Lufls come to obtain the confent of the Will. Secondly ; In that here Lufts, when they come to ACtion, they arc called Wills, obferve from hence : That the chief SinfulneG of a Man in his Afrions, it is not fimply his Lufls, and the rage and violence of them, ( tho therein lies a great Inordinacy, which a Man is to be humbled for); but when they come to all:, it is the Will, either that is indulgent to thofe LuO:s, fuffcrs the thoughts io dwell upon them, pore upon them, or which yieldeth to the performing and ful-· fillirrg of them. You fee here, that the Apoflle, when he comes to fpeak of ful– filling of Luffs, inflead of fulfilling of Lufls, he faith, F,lfil/i"g tbe 11'11/s of the Flejb. The Will is the greatmeafute of Sin. My Brethren, tlie aggravation of finning againfr knO\~Iedg, it lrts chiefly in this, that the more knowledg a Maa bath, the more his Will is difcovered to be for the Sin, notwithfianding that knowledg; therefor~ the highefl finning of all, what is made the mc~fi1re of 1t ? TEat jin wilflllly ( fauh he) after fhe:y have rewved the k(Iowledg of the Trutb, Heb.' lo. Therefure· they are called, Ohildron f{)f Difobedionce, in the very words before ; for their Difobedienee, their Sinfulnefs cfpecially, lies. in the 00. ~n:rcy and ptrveifen:efs·of the W1it Therefore when God tums any Man tO ~11111)· .!lefafin:eth that Man's Wm. He truftcd fo W1c V1 illl of Man tir[t, aad was . ' ~~
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