Of Pre{umptuo1tf Sins. Then, 11Jirdly, Obfervc, NoAc1_ion can be HfJly_, t~at 1oth not flow from the lmttge ofGoJ in the Soul, nnd from its Princtple, ~v.ery ACbon IS finfpl rhat ha rh nor t~Ie Glory of God for irs End ; now no Ad:wn ~an ha_ve ~he Glory of God for m End, char harh not the Image of God for Its _Pnnc1ple? and rherefpre M~n being de(poil'd of this Image ~f God_, there 1s no ACbon of }?.n~ Man ~n the Scare of Narure, bur what I S fi~ful and corrupt: And henc: It IS, that tn Regeneration God aga in ft~mps h1s Ima$'e upon the Soul, not mdeed ,fo ~er: feCl:ty as at Man's firfi_ Creat10!1, but yet m fuch a De&ree, as dorh. thro Grace enable him to atl: hohly, and m fome meafure accordJngto the Will of~od . Fourthly, Though Mm: be defpoi/ed of the Im~ge ofG_od, a~J cannot aEf hoMy, J'Ct be is a bujie and aEfive Creature, and muft and 1llt!l be jh!J aEfmg; he hath an allt-ve Natr~re, and he bath aCfive Faculties /fill left himJ . t'fo' the Image of Got!, that jlJOu!J make thofo AEfions holy, u ju{fly takm from him. And' here ~r .laft we have crac.ed out the true Caufc of char fhong Propenfion that there 1s In all Men unto Sm. \Vhile the Soul enjoy'd the Image of God, it fought efpecially w do all in Reference umo God bur now that ir bath Ioft that Imag~ it cannot any longer raife up its Adi·~ns to a Suirablenefs eo the Will of God, and therefore now it finks them, and fl!cks orily m pleafc its own Carnal Defires and Appetircs. T~1ke the whole Refolurion ofir in two or three Word~: TheNarure ofthe Soul makes ir prone and inclin'd ro a8:, for iris a bufie active Creature; and if it adsJ it mufi fin becaufe it ha rh nor the Image of God tO raife its ACl:ions tO a Holy and Divine Conformicy eo the Will of God ; and therefore now to be prone to a&, is eo be prone to fin ; and this _is t~e t~e G.round of that ftrong Propenfion that is in al l Men, to that wh tch 1s evtlana finful. But, You 1uill {ay, if thH Prmenefs to Sin be from the Lofs of Gotfs Image, ho1v .§!.geft. comes it to ;afs, that thofe, who are renew'd agtrin according to the Image .ofGOd, do j!ill. complain of" this ftrong T;ronenc{s and Propen.fton to Sin? ; To this I anfivcr, That thofc of fallen Mankind, to whom God ispleas'd to re- An[w. ftorehis Image in Regenera tion, accordingly as this Image is more oi lefs perfect, fo is this Prommefs to Sin m() re Or lefs firong; bur becaufe tbe beft are but in parr renew'd, therefore thi s finful Pronenefs is but in parr defiroy'd in the befi; Grace weakens it, bur Grace doth nor quite remove it; and therefore rhe ·holieft Chriftian harh,and fh <tll have, as long as he lives in this World, $:aufe to complain with th c Apoftle, Rom. 7· 2;. I fee anothtr law in my members 1varring a$ainftthe law of m1 mind ; there is a ca rna l, fenfual Inclination in him, ftrongly 1waying him to fin, conrrary to the Bent and l nclinacion of his rcnew'd Pare; and therefore he lhall have Caufe frill to cry out with the Apofttl, Oh wretchedMan that I am! who Jllall deliver me from the body of this death? llecaufe the Image ofGod is buc in parr reftor'd in him, therefore there is parcly alfo an Inclination in him to fm. Yea, but you will far pojjibly, this Inclination in the bef! Chrijlians may be Objefl. to[malltr and ldf(T Sins, but it cannot be thought that a Child of God, who is renew' J again according to the Image of God, Jbould have a ftorng Pronenefs and btclination to thofe foUl SinsJ that the 1vicked of the Tf/orld lie in. . To this I mif?ver, The mofi: that Grace doth in the beftofGod'sChildren in Anfw. this Life, is, ro weaken and lc1Ten that natural Propenfi on that is in a Child of God w every Sin, bur n·or to defiroy that Propenfion to any one Sin at aliJ no, not ro the foul eft and vi left Sins: The Old Man in this Life never lofcrh one Limb, rho' it be weakned and confuming away in his whole Body. Take a Child of God, rhat before his Convei·fion had a ftrong Propcnfion to any Sin; fuppofe what Sin you will, rho' never fo foul and horrid, the f.1me Propen fi on frill remains. Ic is not indeed fo violent and raging as it was, but there it is, ic is abated and overcome by Grace, but fr ill there is rhe fame Pronenefs roSin · it may be a Chrifiian is nor fo fenfible of this Propenfion to Sin, nor fo frequ~ntly as formerly he ha rh ; but yet the Experience of the beft fometimes can interm t~cm, that even to rh~ worfi Sins andmofihorrid TempracionsJ they find a Fac"twn and Parry in thc1r Hearrs to promore them; and ic is aS much Work as Grace can do ro fubdue and quell thefe greac Sin.s. _ I co~e now to enqu ire into the Grounds and Reafons, why God fhould fufter, this Pront~fs roSin ro continue in his deareft Saints and Children after their Converfion and Regeneration? Poffibly forne may think ic would have been far more conduciblc to God's Glory, as well as their own Pe;cc and Comfort, if God K k k k 2 • had
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