Sit TAE DOWERS AND CONTESTS OF FLESH AND SPSRtT. accidental distemper. The man that, perpetually carries ;about with him the vigorous and active seeds of any sin fuI appetite or affection, may take ten times more pains in mortification than anotlíer does who is of a happier .temperature, and yet may. fall more ,frequently into his awn peculiar iniquities, and be overcome by the sin that easily besets him : Nor is his guilt so great as it is in those who are blessed with a better animal nature, but either take nocare to guard against those sins, or perhaps excite nature topractise the-same iniquities, beyond its own inbred appetite. And for this reason it is evident, that a person, who in different periods of life, commits the same sins, may de- serve much More blame at one time than another ; so wanton practices are more hateful and criminal, in old age, and slothfulness and inactivity in duty is a greater fault in the days of youth ; because in those different seasons of human life, there is less temptation to those sins arising from the flesh. So fear, and sudden anger, and sorrow, wheresoever they are found excessive in persons of enfeebled con- stitutions, Iabouring under sharp pains, or oppressed by nervous maladies, and weak natural spirits, have not ,quite so much guilt in them a,s those sins would have in the same persons, when they were in a state of vigour and health ; for then they had less uneasiness within to join with the provocations and temptations from with-. out ; and besides they were much more capable of brill,- ling the inferior powers, of countermanding the animal motions and evil ferments : Then they could .more easily maintain a wise self-government, they could range their thoughts in better array to resist these sudden attacks of the flesh. I might add further also, that under these sort of infir- mities, they are more exposed to sudden surprizes; the hurry of the natural spirits shakes the whole networkof the nerves in a moment; they throw all the blood into the face at once : or, by a contrary operation, spread an universal chill and tremor over the body, and clothe the countenance in paleness and the image of death: They flash like gunpowder, they force the sweat through every pore, and, convey a ferment of passion through the whole nature at once, so that the soul i
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