to fupport the vileft and most dangerous fort S ER M. of hypocrify. It is faid plainly, fay they, XXII. that we cannot do the things that we would: But the words in the original are ἵνα μὴ ἃ ἅν θέλητε, ταῦτα ποιῆτε, So that ye do not the things that ye would. So that the plain fenfe of the text is this; the purely fpiritual part of us, ftirred up by the grace of God, difapproves

ap

and opposes the committal of fin: but the petites of the body, and evil inclinations of the fentive foul, make a ftrong oppofition; and this is the reason why fo many perfons act clear contrary to the judgment of their minds, and the suggestions of the holy spirit of God, (i. e.) in short the reason why fo many fins are committed, though they know better, and have an inclination to virtue, is, because that in oppofition to the mind, they fuffer themselves to be carried away with the violent inclinations of the lower man; this is the literal fenfe of the text. And now therefore, what will become of all those who have comforted themselves with this notion amidst their habitual wilful fins, and built all their hopes of mercy upon this airy foundation; nothing but a meer mistake in the tranflation? O but fay they, though this faying of St. Paul will not bear that meaning, yet he speaks it plainly in another place, in the 7th of the Romans, The good that I would I do not, and the evil that I would not that do I. But they should confider that these two are parallel places, and therefore must have the fame meaning; efpeVOL. II.

L

cially

SER M. cially being fpoke by the fame person. If he XXII. hath no fuch meaning here, that a regenerate perfon may be guilty of wilful fins, they may well prefume that he can have no fuch meaning in the other.

And indeed this text naturally leads us into the true meaning of that whole chapter. The whole fubftance of his argument in that chapter is built upon what he fays expreffly here; that there are two very different parts of our make, the pure mind, and the fleshly part of us, which includes all the appetites of the body, and finful paffions of the inferior foul. This fpirit of ours, by the motions of God's grace, approves what is good, and hath a will to it; but the lefs noble part of us is polluted in all its faculties, and inclinés quite the contrary way; and from hence he infers his conclufion undeniably, fince I or any man elfe that commits a fin, hath fomething within him that at the fame time difapproves it, and tries to diffwade him from it; this is is a fair proof that the laws of God are holy, and juft, and true.

So that we see these are fome of those places in St. Paul's epiftles, which St. Peter obferves, fome that were unlearned and unftable fhould wreft to their own deftruction; which is fo remarkable of our age, that vaft numbers of chriftians, whole focieties, and profeffions of them 'are zealous afferters of this falfe and groundless interpretation; though as a learned man obferves in his comment, these texts were

under

XXII.

understood in the right fenfe, by all the or- SER M. thodox party, for the first three hundred of christianity,

years

We are fenfible of our own frailty, that God knows how little reafon we have to make the conditions of falvation harder than they really are; and did we not fee plainly that this is a broken reed, we should be as ready to catch at it as they: But we fee plainly how it is contrary, not only to St. Paul's defign in these places, but against common sense and reason to think that the abhorrence of a fin, and reluctance of the mind, which is the great aggravation of fin, should be the excuse for it; it is this very thing that makes it a fin; and this prefent fenfe of the mind, and judgment of their confciences, will one day render them liable to the judgment of God and eternal damnation.

A ftrange reafon this for people to give, why they may live in any fin, because they have a temptation to it; if there were no temptation to fins of luft and covetoufness; of intemperance, of cheating, and dishonesty, and fpiritual pride; they would be very chafte, and liberal, and temperate, and juft, and humble. But it is a dangerous ftate of foul when people are holy without being virtuous: For fure I am, our chriftianity requires them both; and it is then people become truly fanctified and regenerate, when they are able to abstain from the evil they would not, and have it in their power to do the good that L 2

they

SER M. they would; when they have brought the XXII. flesh fo much in fubjection to the mind, that they can glorify God in their body, as well as in their spirit.

This reluctance of the mind, as you have already feen, is no more than what the Heathens found in themselves at the committal of the greatest and most unnatural, villanies; it was no excufe for them, and fhall it be an excuse for christians, who have greater affiftance of grace?

very

They must own at beft, these texts are not clear for them; but I will give them plain texts against them, Rom. viii. 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall die; but if through the Spirit ye mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live: And that they may have no opinion at all left of the goodness of their ftate, from that mighty abhorrence they find in themselves of those fins they are guilty of, let them confider that St. Paul fays, that though they may be delighted with the law of God in the inner man; at the very fame time, the motions of finis may work in their members, to bring forth fruit unto death.

2. Another thing we may obferve from thefe words is, the true worth and value of mortifications, and the abfolute neceffity of habitual felf-denials; We have seen how the cafe is with us, the parts of our frame are become a contradiction to one another; and our mifery is, that the inclinations and appetites of the lower man have now the upper hand;

the

the flesh lufteth against the fpirit, and oppofes SERM all its motions with fuch force and violence, XXII. that it bears down before it all the fuggeftions of the fpirit, which makes fo weak and feeble a refiftance, that we rarely do the good things that we would; we are hurried into fin with impetuous violence, contrary to the sense of our minds, and the judgment of our confciences; which condition of infirmity is very well expreffed by that fimilitude of Socrates, who calls the purely rational part of us the Rider; and the lower part of us, containing our paffions and appetites, the Horfe; which being refty, and wild, and unmanaged; frets, and foams, and plunges, and runs away with its rider into bogs and precipices.

Now there is no way of taming this beaftly part of us, and bringing it to fome temper and obedience to the mind, but by croffing and contradicting all its motions; abating the fury of its paffions and appetites, by denying it those objects that gratify and nourish them; if we continue to do this, this horfe of ours will become tame and gentle; it will keep the road, and carry us on our journey to heaven with courage.

This is the bufinefs of our lives, to proper break the force and violence of these irregular inclinations, by felf-denials, and mortifications, and severities; these are the fure and effectual means of virtue and holiness, and no good degree of these is to be obtained without them. And this is the reason why the ftile