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THE
POWERS
AND
CONTESTS
OP
FLESH
AND
SPIRIT.
305
lion
may
be
determined
to
be
lawful,
sacred,
or
sinful,
.
if
it
be
exercised toward different objects, or
in
different
degrees.
Thus
it
is
lawful to
be
hungry and thirsty,
and
to desire-
proper
food,
bread and
wine
;
and
to
desire,
with
faith
and holy affections, to
eat
the
bread and
drink
the wine
at
the.
Lord's
-
supper-
is
a sacred action.
But
to
covet
that meat
or
drink,
that
bread, or
that
wine,
which belongs
to
another
man,. is
sinful
;
for
it
is
a
vio-
lation
of
the
tenth command, and
becomes
a transgres-
sion.
So
to
fear the
great God, or
to
love
him,
is
a
sacred
affection.
To
fear
a
robber
or
a
roaring
lion,
or
to love
my
house,
or
my
servant,
are
very lawful affec-
tions
:
But
if
my
love
or
my
fear
of
any
creature exceeds
my fear or
my love
of God
my
Creator, it
becomes
here-
by
sinful.
It
is
lawful,
or
rather it
is
'religious and
holy,
to
be
angry,
to
hate,
and
to
be
ashamed, when
sin
is
the
object
of
these passions
;
but
to
be
ashamed
of
virtue
and
religion,
where
I
am
called
to profess them,
or
to
hate
my
neighbours,
or
even mine enemy,
or
'to
be
angry without
a
cause, or above a
proper'
degree, are all
criminal
pas-
sions,
and render
a man guilty before
God.
The
mere motions and
ferments
of
flesh
and
blood,
or
whatsoever share mere animal
nature
has in these
actions
or
affections
of
the man,
can
have no
moral good
or
evil
in them,
considered
apart
from
the soul;
nor
are they
properly
called lawful
or
sinful
in
themselves
;
for they
are
the
pure operations
of
brutal matter,
till
the
soul
or
the
will
indulges
them,
or
approves
them,
commands
them,
or
complies
with
them.
Yet if
the objects
of
these
fleshly
motions
be
forbidden
by
the
laws
of God,
or
if
the degree
be
excessive,
or
the time
or
place unlawful,
then
these motions
and
ferments of the
flesh
may
be
called
sinful
;
not
formally
in
themselves,
but occasion-
ally;
because the soul
so
often complies
with
them,
and
becomes guilty
;
and thus
these
operations
of
the
flesh
are
sad occasions
of
sin.
Now
in
this
present
fallen state, wherein all
the chil-
dren
of
Adam
are
found, these sinful motions
and
fer
-_
ments, appetites, and passions
abound
in
our
flesh
and
blood;
partly
as
we
derive
too much
of
them
from
our
sinful parents,
and partly
as
we
have too much
encou-
raged and
strengthened them
ourselves, by
frequent prac-
tice
and
indulgence.
VOL.
III.
X