388 The NATURE and Pow ER i 3Tolan iii. 9. =lap dµx; zv, to commit fin, is to make a trade of fin to make it a man's bufinefs to lin í fo it is faid, a believer doth not commit fin. And fo sms+v 5d zzt:v, CO do that which is good; to will to do fo is to have habitual bent and inclination of the will fet on that which is good, that is, morally and fpiritually ood, which is the proper fubjen treated of; whence is our third obfervaigrcion. Obferv. III. There is, and there is through grace kept up in believers, a confiant and ordinarily prevailing will of doing good, notwithftaning the power and efficacy of indwelling fin to the contrary. i s This in their worft condition, diltinguifheth them from unbelievers in their belt. The Will in unbelievers is tinder the power of the law of fin. The oppofition they make to fin, either in the root, or branches of it, is from their light, and their confciences; the will of finning in them is never taken away. Take away all other confiderations, and hin- drances, whereof we Rail treat afterwards, and they would fin willingly always. Their faint endeavours to anfwer their conciliions, are far from. a will of doing that which is good. They will plead indeed, that they would leave their fins if they could, and they would fain do better than they. do. But it is the working of their light and convictions, not any fpiritual inclination of their wills, which they intend by that expreflion. For where there is a will of doing good, there is a choice of that which is good for its own excellency fake, becaufe it is defirable and fuitable to the foul, and therefore to be preferred before that which is contrary. Now this is not in any unbelievers; they do not, they-çannot fo chufe that which is fpiritually good, not is fo excellent or fuitable' unto any prin- ciple that is in them: only they have faine defires to attain that end, whereunto that which is good doth lead, and to avoid that evil which the neglect of it tends unto. And thefe alfa are for the molt part fo weak and languid in many of them, that they put them not upon any confiderable endeavours ; witnefs that luxury, Path, worldlinefs and fecurity, that the generalityof men are even drowned in. , But in believers there is a will of doing good, an habitual difpofition and inclination in their wills unto that which is fpiritually good. And where this is, it is accompanied with anfwerable effeds. The will is the principle ofour moral adions, and therefore unto the prevailing difpofition thereof, will the general courfe of our adingshe fuited. Good risings will proceed from the good treafures ofthe heart. Nor can this difpofition be evidenced to be in any but by its fruits. A will of doing good, without doing good, is but pretended. 4. There is yet another thing remaining in thefe words of the apoftle, aching from that refpe& that the prefence of fin bath unto the time and feafon of duty : When I would do good, faith he, evil isprefent with me. There is two things to be confidered in the will of doing good, that is in believers. (t.) There is its habitual refidence in them. They have always an habitual inclination of will unto that which is good. And this habitual preparation for good is always prefent with them, as the apoftle expreffes it, v. 18. of this chapter. (s.) There are fpecial times and feafons for the exercife of that principle. There is a When I would dogood, a feafon wherein this or that good, this or that duty is to be performed and accomplifhed, fuitably unto the habi- tual preparation and inclination of the will. Unto thefe two, there are two things in indwelling fin oppofed. [s.] To the gracious principle refiding in the will, inclining unto that which is fpiritually good, it is oppofed as it is a law, that is, a contrary principle inclining unto evil, with an averfation from that which is good. [a] Unto
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