The true doctrine of justification asserted and vindicated, from the errors of Papists, Arminians,…The true doctrine of justification asserted and vindicated, from the errours of Papists, Arminians,…

Hence it is, that habitual sin, whether remote, or proxime, is forbidden by the Law of God, which requireth not only good things to be done, but also that they flow from a clear and pure fountain within, even an entire perfection of the nature; so that although infused habits of grace come not under a precept, in respect of the infusing and ingenerating of them, for that is Gods act, and we are not bound to do that, yet they are commanded both before they are infused and after; Before, by the Law, which requireth of us, that inward rectitude, which is now lost; and after they are infused, to be diligent in those pious actions, whereby those habits may be preserved and retained. So that by this we may see a sin to be, whatsoever doth transgress the Law of God, whether habitually or actually, whether internally or externally, whether by commission, or by omission, and from hence ariseth the curse which the Law pronounceth against sinners, because its broken by them.

Hence it is, that habituall sin, whether remote, or proxime, is forbidden by the Law of God, which requireth not only good things to be done, but also that they flow from a clear and pure fountain within, even an entire perfection of the nature; so that although infused habits of grace come not under a precept, in respect of the infusing and ingenerating of them, for that is Gods act, and we are not bound to do that, yet they are commanded both before they are infused and after; Before, by the Law, which requireth of us, that inward rectitude, which is now lost; and after they are infused, to be diligent in those pious actions, whereby those habits may be preserved and retained. So that by this we may see a sin to be, whatsoever doth transgresse the Law of God, whether habitually or actually, whether internally or externally, whether by commission, or by omission, and from hence ariseth the curse which the Law pronounceth against sinners, because its broken by them.

In the next place,¹ if we speak of sin as it relates to the person sinning; so there is not required; first, That a man should not intend sin, and will it as sin, for that is impossible: even as the understanding cannot assent to any thing false as false, but as the object is either true really, or apparently: So neither can the will, desire any thing that is evil, as evil, but as it is apparently good. As the devil appeared in Samuel's clothes, so doth sin and evil always under the notion of some good or other. Hence the Apostle saith, Lusts saves, i. do [Greek or Hebrew], entice a man, as a Fisherman doth the silly fish by the bait upon the hook, which the Apostle elsewhere calls [Greek or Hebrew], a deceiving or putting a false