The Return of Prayers

1. There are the inward lustings to those outward acts: now, though grace weakeneth the very lustings within, yet, takes them not wholly away: ⟨p. 364⟩The spirit that is in us, (that is,) in us Saints, says S. James, lusteth to envy: and as to envy, so to all other sins.

1. There are the inward lustings to those outward acts: now, though grace weakeneth the very lustings within, yet, takes them not wholly away: ⟨p. 364⟩The spirit that is in us, (that is,) in us Saints, sayes S. Iames, lusteth to envy: and as to envy, so to all other sinnes.

And secondly, there are the outward gross acts of such sins; and there in the weakness of sin in a regenerate man, and strength of grace shows it self most in preserving from them: for, as to will is present with me says S. Paul to will what is good, yet how to perform it I am not able, Rom. 7. 18. So on the contrary, to lust the heart may be ready, and lust may soon rise up in rebellion, but when it should come to the act, there is a weakness discovered; ⟨p. 365⟩they come to the birth, and want strength often to bring forth; the contrary lusting and prevailing of grace being then seen and discovering it self: that it fareth with a regenerate man in this case often as with a man that is deadly wounded, who riseth up to strike his enemy, and thinks to run him through, but sinks down again, medio conatu, when his sword is at his enemies breast, through a deficiency of spirits; or as a man in a Palsy, or the Gout, who thinks he is able to walk, till he comes to try, and then he finds a weakness which makes him ⟨p. 366⟩fall back again: Thus, even when the whole forces of lusts are mustered up, yet the weapons fall out of their hands. Humours in a healthful constitution, may stir, and boak in the stomach, when yet they come not up, nor prevail unto vomiting. In that place afore named,