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Aommonameimmumpl
326
THE POWERS
AND
CONTESTS
OF FLESH
AND
SPIRIT.
the
millions
of
our iniquities
:
Cleanse
us from
secret
offences,
and keep
us
free from
presumptuous sins."
Question
II.
Whether
all
impure imaginations and
blasphemous thoughts are properly
sinful
;
and
render
us'
guilty before
God
?
Answer.
It
is
possible
that
some
peculiar qualities
of
the constitution,
some
distempered
humours
of
the
body,
or
some
sort
of improper
food,
may
excite impure
images
on the brain
;
and
this
is
often done
also
by
the casual
and unavoidable,
occurrentes of
human
life.
An inde-
cent picture,
an
immodest or profane
song,
or
the
vile,
the
impious, or
uncleanly language
of
the wicked
world,
may spread
a
dangerous
scene
over
the fancy.
The
devil
also
is
a
watchful and
a busy adversary, and we know
not
what
secret power
he has to
draw
evil
pictures
on
the
brain,
to
write blasphemy there,
or
to awaken some
old
traces
of
immorality.
The
powers and devices
of
wick
ed spirits
are
a
great
and unsearchable secret
to
us
who
dwell
in
the
flesh.
He
may
buzz
into the
ear
sonic
impious
syllables,
or
lewd
and
profane
sounds, especi-
ally when
his
chain
is
a
little lengthened, and
he has
a
divine permission to
approach human nature.
But
all
these things
that
I
have
here described
may be
impressed
on
the animal powers
of
an
innocent
person
:
The
soul may have
a
very
painful perception
of
all
this
without actual
sin,
supposing
still,
that it
strives and
Wrestles
both
against
its own
flesh
and
blood, and
against
those principalities and powers
of
darkness
;
supposing
that
it
fights,
watches,
and'prays
for divine
aid,
and
uses
all the
holy
armour
and the
weapons
of
sacred
appoint-
ment,
to fence
against
these assaults
of
fleshly
and
spiri-,
tual
enemies, these
sore
invasions
of
its holiness
and
peace.
I
confess
it
is
hard
in
this fallen and
imperfect
state,
to be thus
attacked
on
any
side,
without
sonic
degree
of
compliance
in an
unguarded
moment;
and
especially
if
we
are beset
on all sides,
and assaulted
by
the
flesh,
the
world, and the
devil
at
once.
It
is
seldom
or never
that
the best
of
men can pass
through such
a scene
of
conflict
and sharp trial, without something of
defilement.
Our
Saviour himself indeed
was
assaulted
by
Satan,
and
by
s
the
world
;
but
the
prince
of
darkness found nothing
within
him to
promote pr assist
his
temptations
;
Jam