8 3 POWERS AND CONTESIt OF FLESH AND SPIRIT'. This will appear with feller evidence, if we consider that there might be in the flesh of innocent Adam, some natural appetites towards objects that might he forbidden by the express and positive law of God ; for the flesh, merely considered in it- self, has a natural propensity to things that please and gratify it, without any regard to theunseen circumstances or moral relations of things ; without any respect to a law that permits or prohibits them. Thus Adam, or his partner, mightfeel an innocent incli- nation in their animal natures, towards any fruit in the garden that was pleasant to the eyes, andgoodforfood, even to that of the tree of knowledge : And this indeed was necessary, in order to make 'a proper state of trial : and it was fit and becoming divine wisdom, to appoint such a tree to be the test of their obedience. Now while they continued innocent, the soul re- sisted this inclination of the flesh, under a sense that the fruit was forbidden ; but the first moment that they indulged the flesh in this irregular appetite, or consented to it, they made them- selves transgressors ; then their nature was corrupted ; thus they did eat the unlawful food, and became the parents of a., sinful race. The chiefdifferences therefore in t is matter, betwixt inno- cent and fallen man, are these : 1. That it is probable his flesh mightháve ne natural inclina- tion to objectsapparently hurtful in themselves; but to such only as might be made unlawful by some attending circumstances, or by an express andpositive law.-2. These inclinations also, per- haps, were but fewand feeble, in comparison of the multitudes of violent appetites, and irregular desires, that are found in our de- generate natures, to all sorts of unlawful objects: And 3. That his soul had power in itself, by due consideration, to resist and subdue these appetites of the flesh, though not absolutely to pre- vent them ; whereas in our present corrupt state we are soon transported andhurried away into a sinful compliance with them : The spiritis ready to yield ás soon as it feels the temptations of thebody ; so that there are scarce any such inordinate ferments orpropensities arising or stiring in our flesh and blood, but the soul more or less consents to them in some degree. Thus, though the first motions towards sin that are in our members, are not in themselves properly sinful, nor is the sense or perception of the mind sinful neither, for this is natural and necessary, according to the composition of human nature, if the mind were neverso holy : Yet these motions seldom arise in our members, especially in an unregenerate state, but the soul is de- filed, and becomesguilty ; and that is by some consent ofwill, some degree of indulgence to them, or compliance with.them. Well then May we cry out with the Psalmist, Ps. xix. 12: Who can understand his errors? Cleanseus, O Lord, from the
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