IN THE INSTAN rage And excess of some seems to justify others in their more sedate irregularities, and less conspicuous provo- cations. Yea some, who are not in any better state and condition as to their interest in the covenant of God than others, will yet not only startle at, but really abhor those outrages of sin and wickedness which they fall unto. Now, thisdifference ariseth not from hence, that the nature of all men is not equally corrupt and depraved, but that God is pleased to make his restrain- ing grace effectual towards some, to keep them within those bounds of sinning, which they shall not pass over, and to permit others so to fall under a conjunction of their lusts and temptations, as that they proceed unto all manner of evil, Moreover, there are peculiar incli- nations unto some sins, ifnot inlaid in, yet much in- hanced, and made obnoxious unto incitations by the temperature of the body. And some are more exposed unto temptations in the world from their outward cir- cumstances and occasions oflife. Hereby are some even precipitated to all manner of evil. But still the old man, which is corrupt according unto deceitful lusts, is the samenaturally in all. All difference as to good from evil, I mean not as to the nature of the things them- selves, but as to mens interest in them, so as to adhere to theone, and avoid the other, is from the will of God. Thus he secretly prepares for some abetter temperature of nature, docile and pliable unto such notices of things as may entertain their minds, and satisfy them above sensual delights. And some he disposeth in their edu- cation, callings, societies, aims, and designs in the world, into ways inconsistent with open lewdness, which will much balance their inclinations, besides his secret internal actings on their hearts and minds, whereof af- terwards. This is excellently expressed by Austin, Confese. lib. 2. cap. 7. Diligam te Domine, et gm- " tins agam, et confitear nomini tuo, quoniam tanta di- " misisti mihi mala et nefaria opera mea. Gratis tuse tt deputo et misericordie tue, quod peccata mea tan- u quam glaciem solvisti; gracie tuse deputo et quecun- que non feci mala. Quid enim non facere potui qui etiam gratuitum amavi facinus? et omnia mihi dimis- u sa esse fateor, et que mea sponte feci mala et que te .a duce non feci. Quis est hominum qui scam cogitans " infirmitatem, audet viribus suis tribuere castitatem " arque innocentiam swam ut minus amet te, quasi mi- . nus necessaria fuerit misericordia tua, qua condonas CE OF AUGUSTINE. 201 -------- peccata conversis ad te? Qui enim vocatus ad te seal- " tus est vocem team, et vitavit ea que me de meipso recordantem et fatentem legit, non me derideat, ab tC eo medico egrum sanari a quo prestitum est ut non cegrotaret, eel potius ut minus cegrotaret. Et ideo " to tentunden' imo vero amplius diligat, quia per quern ., me videt tantis peccatorum meorum languoribus exui, " per eum se videt tantis peccatorum languoribus non implicari" ,..I_ will love thee, O God, and thank w thee, and confess unto thy name, because thou hast " forgiven me my evil and nefarious deeds. 1 impute " it to thy grace and mercy, that thou hast made my " sins to melt away as ice;. and I impute it to thy grace as to all the evils which I have not done. For what " could not I have done, who loved wickedness for it- " self? All, I acknowledge, are forgiven me; both the as evils that I have done on my own accord, and what " through thy guidance I have not done. Who is ., there, who considering his 'own weakness, dare as- " cribe his chastity or innocency unto his own strength, that he may less love thee, as though thy mercy were " less necessary unto him, whereby thou forgivest the " sins of them that are converted to thee? For let not him, who being called of thee, and having heard thy " voice, hath avoided the evils which I have confessed, " deride me, that, being sick, was healed of that Phy- sician, from whom he received the mercy not to be sick, or not to be so sick." Sect. Ib. This brief account of the actings of cor- rupted nature, until it comes unto the utmost of a reco- verable alienation from God, may somewhat illustrate and set off the work ofhis grace towards us. And thus far, whatever habit he contracted in a courseof sin, yet the state of men is absolutely recoverable by the grace of Jesus Christ administered in the gospel, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, I I. No state ofsin is absolutely unhealable until God bath variously dealt with men by his Spirit. His word must be rejected, and he must be sinned against in a peculiar manner, before remission be impossible. All sins and blasphemies antecedent thereunto, may be forgiven unto men, and that before their conversion unto God, Matth. xii. 3l, 32, .Luke xii. 10. Where- fore the manner and degrees of the operations of' this Spirit of God on the mindsof men, towards and in their conversion, is that which we shall now inquire into, re- ducing what we have to offer concerning it unto certain heads or instances.
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