2. Not only the actings of faith are interrupted, but the contrary actings of sin are put forth, in stead of faith they break out into unbelief; in stead of fervency and heavenly-mindedness they are dull and earthly; so that now, not the house of David, but of Saul doth overcome; Now grace is dormant, and sin is awakened and lively; yea they commit foul and enormous sins, such as the light of nature would palpably condemn, as we see it in David, with what contrivances and devises did he accomplish his adultery and murder, adding one grievous sin to another, and no doubt would have gone further, had not the Lord stopped him in his way: Not that these gross vices did totally drive away the Spirit of God, and eradicate all the principles and seed of grace within, for then how could David immediately upon Nathan's reproof, have so melted and ingenuously confessed his sin, but for the while, the root only of grace was under the ground, there appeared no fruit; or as a man that is mad hath a principle of reason, though for the present, the use of it is violently hindered: or as Eutiches, who fell from the window (Acts 20.) and all thought he had been dead; but Paul said, There was life in him. Thus it was with David, there was a secret principle of grace, but that was overwhelmed and stopped up by many lusts, as when foggy mists do arise and obnulliate the Sun. It's true, David at that time knew those actions to be sin, and so he could not but sin against his conscience; but it was a general conscience, it was not it may be, practical and convincing, quoad hic & nunc; so that he did not sin ⟨p. 351⟩maliciously, though he was seduced by strong lusts: Whether it was a sin of infirmity, is discussed by some: But we cannot say, David's sins at that time were of ignorance or infirmity, nor yet properly of malice, but of a mixed kind: It was not of mere malice prevailing, from a total want of a principle of good, but from the not working of that good principle; They were not sins of ordinary infirmity (saith D. Ames) but of extraordinary.
2. Not only the actings of faith are interrupted, but the contrary actings of sinne are put forth, in stead of faith they break out into unbelief; in stead of fervency and heavenly-mindedness they are dull and earthly; so that now, not the house of David, but of Saul doth overcome; Now grace is dormant, and sinne is awakened and lively; yea they commit foul and enormous sinnes, such as the light of nature would palpably condemn, as we see it in David, with what contrivances and devises did he accomplish his adultery and murder, adding one grievous sinne to another, and no doubt would have gone further, had not the Lord stopt him in his way: Not that these grosse vices did totally drive away the Spirit of God, and eradicate all the principles and seed of grace within, for then how could David immediately upon Nathan's reproof, have so melted and ingenuously confessed his sinne, but for the while, the root only of grace was under the ground, there appeared no fruit; or as a man that is mad hath a principle of reason, though for the present, the use of it is violently hindered: or as Eutiches, who fell from the window (Acts 20.) and all thought he had been dead; but Paul said, There was life in him. Thus it was with David, there was a secret principle of grace, but that was overwhelmed and stopt up by many lusts, as when foggy mists do arise and obnulliate the Sun. It's true, David at that time knew those actions to be sinne, and so he could not but sinne against his conscience; but it was a general conscience, it was not it may be, practical and convincing, quoad hic & nunc; so that he did not sinne ⟨p. 351⟩maliciously, though he was seduced by strong lusts: Whether it was a sinne of infirmity, is discussed by some: But we cannot say, David's sinnes at that time were of ignorance or infirmity, nor yet properly of malice, but of a mixt kind: It was not of meer malice prevailing, from a total want of a principle of good, but from the not working of that good principle; They were not sins of ordinary infirmity (saith D. Ames) but of extraordinary.
