The Return of Prayers

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, Gal. 5. the Apostle seems not to deny but that in the most regenerate, lustings may arise, for the flesh (says he) lusteth against the spirit, ver. 17. but yet, as for outward acts, he tells them, verse 16. That if they walk in the spirit, that is, in the prevalency of the spirit, keeping up a holy frame of ⟨p. 367⟩heart above the flesh, that then ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh: for that frame of heart so kept up, will hinder the outward fulfilling of the lust; which is never done till flesh and corruption is actually raised above the spirit, & gets more voices to carry it; till the spirit be under hatches, and the flesh above, and so steers the helm:otherwise the lusting of the spirit against the flesh, will hinder the outward doing, and fulfilling of a lust. For the reason he gives, verse 17. so as you cannot do what you would, implies, that not only lustings, which arise without consent, may be