340 / 652
330
THE
POWERS AND CONTESTS QF FLESH
At1p
$TI$IT.
at
the
end
of
this
disorder,
when
the man
awakes
into
day
-light and reason
again,
he knows
nothing
of
what
bas
passed
;
or
if
he
recollects the
folly,
he blushes
and
mourns
over the infirmity
of
his
nature, and
while
he
asks forgiveness
of
Gdd,
he can
scarce
forgive himself,
that
he
should
yield the
least consent
to
criminal
incli-
nations.
Where the
confusion
of
thought
does
not
arise
to such
an
overwhelming degree,
but
there are
some
debatings
of
reason,
some
notions
of duty,
some workings
of
consci-
ence, and yet
the soul complies
at
last,
there
the
guilt
is
increased,
and
rises
higher in proportion
to the exercise
of
the intellectual faculties. But this
crime
can never
become
near
to the guilt
of
the
same actions,
done
in
a
waking
hoir,
or
in
á season
of
health, and soundness
of
mind
and
memory.
I
have
known a man
of
serious 'piety take the name
of
God
in
vain,
and curse under
the power
of distraction,
which he would have
abhorred
with
all
his
soul
if
he
had
been
in
his senses,
and not absolutely
overpowered
by
the disordered humours
of
the
flesh.
Yet
take
this awful
caution
by
the
way
:
That
where
these disorders or
diseases
of
the brain, sleeping
or
wak-
ing,
are
caused
by
our
own folly
or
wickedness,
by
luxury,
by
unmortified
lusts,
or
by
any immoral
prac-
tices,
the
case
seems
to
be
far
worse,
and perhaps
the
guilt
of
every
irregular action
is
proportionably
enhanced
and aggravated thereby
;
as in
the
wild
freaks
of
a
drunk-
ard,
who
has
indulged
his
vicious
appetite,
till
it
has
overcome
all his
better
faculties
;
for
there reason
itself,
and
the common
judgment
of
mankind,
determine the
crimes
then committed against
the society to
be
justly
punishable
:
He
that
kills a
man
in his
drunken
fit,
must
be
put
to
death
when
he
is
grown sober. And how
far
God
will
impute
every
thing
that
is
criminal, and
whe-
ther
he
will
not
deal
with
such
a
one
in
rigor, according
to the
full
guilt
of
the
crime, can
be
determined
only
by
God
himself.
He
sees all
the secret
motions
of
the
flesh
and
spirit;
he weighs every
circumstance
in
a
time
ba,
lance
he knows perfectly
all
the
rules
of
strict
and
impartial
justice;
and
will
judge
the world
with
divine
equity and
wisdom.
Let
us
watch
a.nd
pray then, lest
we
enter
into temp
-_