The Soul's Conflict with Itself

A natural man may oppose some sin from an obstinate resolution against it, not from any love of God, or hatred of sin, as sin, but because he conceives it a brave thing to have his will. As one hard weapon may strike at another, as a stone wall may beat back an arrow; but this opposition is not from a contrariety of nature, as is betwixt fire and water.

A naturall man may oppose some sin from an obstinate resolution against it, not from any love of God, or hatred of sin, as sin, but because he conceives it a brave thing to have his will. As one hard weapon may strike at another, as a stone wall may beate backe an arrow; but this opposition is not from a contrariety of nature, as is betwixt fire and water.

Thirdly, there is a conflict of a higher nature, as between some sins and ¹the light of reason helped by a natural conscience. The Heathen could reason ²from the dignity of the soul, to count it a base thing to prostitute themselves to beastly lusts, so as it were degrading and unmanning themselves. Natural ⟨p. 80⟩men desirous to maintain a great opinion of themselves, and to awe the inferior sort by gravity of deportme• in carriage, will abstain from that which otherwise their hearts […] them unto, lest yielding should rend• them despised, by laying themselves too much open; as because passion discovers a fool as he is, and mak• wise man thought meaner then he is, therefore a prudent man will conc• his passion. Reason refined and raise by education, example, and custom, doth break in some degree the fo• of natural corruption, and brings i• the soul, as it were, another nature and yet no true change; as we see […] such as have been inured to goo courses, they feel conscience check ing them upon the first discontinuan and alteration of their former goo ways, but this is usually from a for impression of their breeding, as […] boat moves some little time upon […] water by virtue of the former stro yet at length we see corruption prevailing over education, as in Joas, […]