A25470:1367
The Morning exercise [at] Cri[ppleg]ate, or, Several cases of conscience practically resolved
The Morning exercise [at] Cri[ppleg]ate, or, Several cases of conscience practically resolved by sundry ministers, September 1661.
London: printed for Joshua Kirton and Nathaniel Webb, 1661
Sermon 13: What difference is there between the Conflict in Natural, AND Spiritual Persons?
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. The contrariety of one lust to another. Grace is uniform, and each virtue linked together in a perfect subordination; but sin is divided, and opposite to it self as well as to Grace. Thus Ambition says Spend, Covetousness says Spare: Revenge incites to murder, Self-love restrains for fear of an halter. Here now is a combat, but only between flesh and flesh, between flesh more refined and flesh more corrupted. The best of these may be called a counter-motion (as in dust and clouds agitated by contrary winds) but not properly a conflict or fight; because they proceed not from a true vital principle, there being in a natural man no principle of Spiritual Life.
4. The contraiety of one lust to another. Grace is uniforme, and each virtue linked together in a perfect subordination; but sin is divided, and opposite to it self as well as to Grace. Thus Ambition sayes Spend, Covetousnesse sayes Spare: Revenge incites to murder, Self-love restrains for fear of an halter. Here now is a combate, but only between flesh and flesh, between flesh more refined and flesh more corrupted. The best of these may be called a counter-motion (as in dust and clouds agitated by contrary winds) but not properly a conflict or fight; because they proceed not from a true vital principle, there being in a natural man no principle of Spiritual Life.
On the other hand; In the Regenerate the combat ariseth from the Antipathy of two contrary Natures perfectly hating each other, Gal. 5.17. Of all affections (as one notes well) Love and hatred are first, and most uncompoundable. A Godly man hates sin as God hates it, not so much for its danger as for its Loathsomeness; as some creatures hate filth so that they will rather dye then defile themselves. One Wolf may snarl at another, but the quarrel is not laid in their Natures as it is in the Wolf and Lamb, which therefore cannot be reconciled. God in Paradise first sounded the Trumpet to this All-arm, Gen. 3.15. proclaiming an eternal War between this seed of the Woman and of the Serpent. As in persons, so much more in principles, there is a mutual abomination. Compare