THE POWERS AND CONTESTS OP PLPAR AND SPIRIT. 313 starts aside from duty, at everyappearing difficulty : The man of faith gives in to fears and. doubts, to perpetual unbelievings, and suspicions thoughts, with regardto the promises of God, and all the encouragements of the gospel. And to put this matter beyond all dispute, experience teaches us, that .the very same persons who had been fretful, peevish, sothful, sullen, or excessively timorous, under the influences of these several distempers of body ; when, by the means of medicine they have been restored to health, they have returned again to the cheer- ful practices of those single and social virtues, which so long lay cramped, confined, and buried under the diseases of the flesh. Now if the occasion of these several sorts of sins; both of omission and commission, did not chiefly arise from the flesh, why should the same christian so remark- ably find his whole temper and his conduct altered for the worse by the diseases of his body, and restored again by the recovery of his health ? 3. Consider how different are the sins of youth and old age ; how contrary are their several temptations The youth delights in gay company, public vanities, sensual amusements, luxury, and profuseness;" he con- temns money, and despises his ease, to pursue with labour the gratifications of fancy and wanton appetite ; and hereby he neglects all the duties of retirement, and se- rious thoughtfulness. The old man loves his ease above all things, except his money ; he neglects and despises the pleasures of the flesh, and gay diversions; but he daily hoards np his gold for fear of want;' and in count- ing over his treasure he wastes the latter hours of his life, which he should spend in a preparation for death at hand. The youth fears nothing, and rushes on to guilt head- long ; the old man is frighted at every thing, and shrinks back from the most necessary duties. Whence are all these differences of sin ? The natural philosopher will give happy hints toward the solvingof this question with ease and :truth : I-Ie knows that one is oc- casioned by the florid blood, and juices, and active powers of young human nature ; these hurry the soul on to pursue every fleshly delight. The other is owing to
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=