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314.
THE
POWERS
ANT)
CONTESTS
OP
FLESH AND
SPIRIT.
the languid and gross
stagnant humours that
mingle
with
the blood
of
old
age: These render
him
dull and
inac,,4
Live;
and
his
perpetual
fears
of
want, and
poverty; and
of
every other
evil,
arise
partly
from the
poor
low
state
of<
those
feeble
spirits
that
attend that
last and expiring
pe-
riod
of
life.
The
unholy
soul
is
too easily influenced
by
both
these extremes, in
the different
seasons
of
its dwel-
ling
in
this
mortal and
sinful
flesh
;
and
the
soul
that
is
sanctified
finds
it
hard
work to
resist:
4.
Let
us consider yet
again, how
great a
part of
the
sins
of
men
arise from the presence
of
.tempting
sensible.
objects
;
and
these
are
conveyed to the mind
by
the
sen-
sitive
powers
of
the
flesh.
What
influence could
the
whole
world
of
enticing
objects have on the spirit,
if the
notices
of
them were
not brought
to
the spirit
by
the
senses?
The
presence
of
alluring temptations strikes
strongly
on
the outward organ
of
sense,
awakens
the
carnal appetite, and
with
a
powerful, an unhappy, and
an
almoft constraining
force,
persuades the
soul to
guilty practices and
enjoyments.
At other
times
it
causes
a
sinful
neglect
of
proper duties
to
God
or
man
;
or,
at
least,
it
calls in vain
thoughts
to mingle with
our
services,
both
civil
and religious
;
and
thus
gives them a
sensual taint,
and pollutes and spoils them.
Particular
circumstances
of
time and place, where
sen>
suai
temptations attend
us,
become
unhappy occasions
of
defiling
the
soul. And where
is
the
time,
or
where
the
place,
in which such objects
or
occasions
are not
to be
found
?
The
day
-light opens
before
us
the scenes
of a
vain
world, crowded with ten
thousand allurements
to
sin;
nor
can
the
shadows
of
the night conceal
or
banish
those
temptations
that
attack
us
at other
avenues
besides
the
eye.
A wanton
song,
an immodest touch, the scent
of
dainty
meats,
or
the remembered relish
of
delicious
wine,
are
sufficient to provoke the
fleshly
appetites, and
to inflame the soul
to
the
pursuit of
iniquity. Thus
every sense
has
a hand
in the conveyánce=of sin to
the
spirit.
Not
the board,
nor
the
bed,
not
the
shop,
nor
the
ex-
change; no not
the closet
nor
the
temples
of
worship,
are
secure
from temptations.
that assault
the
soul,
by
means
of
this
wretched
flesh.
We are
in
danger
when
in
the midst
of
company; nor are
we
safe when solitary 4nd