Of INDWELLING SIN. 46E petration, can be nothing but the content of the will : for as . with- out the content of the will fin cannot be committed, to where the will hath contented unto it, there is nothing in the foul to hinder its aftual accomplithment. God doth indeed by various ways and ingans, fruftrate the bringing forth thefe adulterate conceptions, caufing th na to melt away in the womb, or one wayor other prove abortive, to that not the leaft part of that fin is committed which is willed or conceived yet there is nothing in the foul itfelf that remains togivecheck unto it, when once the will hathgiven its content. Oft-times when a cloud is full ofrain, and ready to fall, a wind comes and drives it away. And when the will is ready to bring forth its fin, God diverts it by one wind or other; but yet the cloud was as full of rain as if it had fallen, and the foul as full of fin as if it had been committed. This conceiving of luft or fin then, is its prevalency in obtaining the confent of the will unto its folicitations. And hereby the foul is deflowred of its cliafi- ty towards God in Chrift, as the apoftle intimates, a Cor. xi. a, 3. To clear up this matter we mutt obferve, o. That the will is the principle, the next feat and taufe ofobedience and difobedience. Moral aftions are unto us, or inus, fofar good or evil as they partake of the content of the will. He fpeke truth of old who faid, Omne peccatum eft adeovolúntarium, ut nonfitpeccatum nififit voluntarium. Eve- ry fin is fo voluntary, that if it be not voluntary, it is not fin. It is molt trueof adual fins. The formality of their Iniquity arifeth from the ads of thewill in them, and concerning them. Imean, as to theperfons that com- mit them; otherwifein itfelf the formal reafon of finis its aberration from the law of God: 2. There is a two -fold content of the will unto fin. (s.) That which is full, abfolute, complete, and upon deliberation. A prevailing content, the convilions ofthe mind being conquered, and noprin- ciple of grace in the will to weaken it. With this content the foul goesin- to fin, as a {hip before the wind with all its fails difplayed, without any check or flop. It rufheth into fin like thehorfe into the battle. Men there- by, as the apoftle fpeaks, giving themfelves over tofin with greedinefs, Eph. iv. 19. Thus Ahab's will was in the murthering of. Naboth, hedid it upon deliberation, by contrivance, with a full content; the doing of it gave him fuch fatisfa &ion, as that it cured his malady, or thediftemper of his mind. This is that confent of the will which is ailed in the finifhing and compleat- ingof fin, in unregenerateperfons, and is not required to the fingle bringing forth of fin, whereof we fpeak. (2.) There is acontent of the will, which is attended with a fecret reti- nency and volition of the contrary. Thus Peter's will was in the denying of his matter. His will was in it, or hehadnot done it; it was a voluntary aftion, that which he chofe to do at that feafon. Sinhad not been brought forth,if it had not been thus conceived. But yet at this very time there was retident in his will a contrary principleof love to Chrift, yea, and faith in him which utterly failed not. The efficacy of it was intercepted, and its operatibns fufpended actually, thro' the violent urgingof the tem- ptation that he was under; butyet it was in his will, and weakned his con- tent unto fin, though it contented: it was done with felf-pleating, which loch full ads of the will do produce. 3. Although there may bea predominant confent in the will, which may fuffìce for the conception of particular fins; yet there cannot be an abfolute, total, full confent of the will of a believer unto any fin, For, Aaaaaa (1.) There
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