up1n th1 EJiftle of JAM B s. of thenextVtt{e, But He gi'l!tth moregrace; whieh He being a Relative, muR have an Antecedett~t, and that is the Spirit of God here imendecl. Th~fe ~re the Arguments. Th.eo[h~r Opinion, that refer_reth it to the wicked fpirit ofman, expomndtth the place thus; Doth the Scrtpturefay in v~tin ? that is, 'cisnot for nothing that the Scripture fa-i-th : what doth it fay? That theJPirit dwelling inus; that is, our corrupt nature; fame fay S«tan: more probably the former; !u(/eth 1o envy ?chat is,is migh– tily carried forch that way. To this Opinion I do incline, and my Reafon is rhe ealtne~ and commodioufnefs of the fence ; the other is more harlh and incricare: as alfo the fuitablenefs of it with the fcope of the ~pofl:le, which is to prove, that carnalluil:s are natural to us,and do not become him that would be a friend ofGod; thofe that are wholly carried to evil, cannot be fiis friends : And fo both Texo:~ andContext runneth f:noothly. But how lhall we anfwer the cor:ttrary Arguments ? I anfwer, Thus: 1. The firft is, That tnis faying., The fpir·it that dwel!eth in us lufteth to C'd'i.Jy, is no where found in Scripture. · To which I reply, That thefence ofi~ is found in Scripture, though not the T~ fnTov, the exprefs WBrds; and when Scdpture is quoted generally, the fence is !hfficieqc. The Apofile writing to Jews,who were verfed'in Scripture, quotedi it gener.ally,and at large: As alfo doth Peter in manyplaces; and fo Paul, I (or. •4·ll .ln the Law 'tis written). With mr:n ofother t.ongues, andother lips will![pea~ un-to this prople: So Verf! H· Wumen·are to be under ob,dience, tu alfo faith the Law. Now th~fe words are nq where in termi– nis, oufare the drift of many Scriptures: So Epht{. 5. I 4· Whtre– fore hefaith,Awak,s thou that Jleepefl,&c. where there is ageneral citaciofl.. So here 'cis the drift of many Scriptures to fpeak of the corrapt nature of man, and awieke~ fpirit dwelling in us; though I conceive there is a fpecial allufion to one place, as there is in all tlrofe other citations mentioned ; and the place alluded to here is Gm.8.a r. The imagination of mans hettrt is tvil,rmly e'Z:il,and thdt continually' : And · though there be no mention of envy, yet with good 'rea~on the Apofile might apply a general place to his particular purpofe. 2, The fecond Argument is taken from the property of the pHtafes, Spirit, and x.rJ.1cJ~~.na-e.v, dwelleth, or hat~ taken up his habitation in us ; bat this may be very fitly applyed to that natural and corrupt fpirit which now we have. I ~ave obferved, tha t 'cis ' . ' ~d 447
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