A supplement to the several discourses upon various divine subjects

6 Proposition; A regenerate man cannot commit any sin with a full consent and bent of will. A man may consent to that which he doth not love. Hereby I distinguish it from the former Proposition. I mean not, that he cannot commit any sin wilfully as sin, for so I believe no man doth; it being against the nature of the creature to do evil, as evil formaliter, but under some other notion of it. Some consent of the will I do acknowledge, because the will as well as the other faculties, is but in part regenerate; as there is not a triumphant light in the understanding, so neither is the grace of the will at present triumphant, but militant; yet it may be rather called the will of sin, than a mans own will. Sometimes a good man is by some sudden motion hurried on to sin, before he can consult law and reason, before he hath his wits well at liberty, before he can compare the temptation or sin with the prohibition of it by the Divine Law. But generally there is a resistance in him, as well as a provocation in sin; for the two contrary principles exert themselves in some measure. Grace resists, and sin provokes: Whereas another that hath no grace, sins with a full consent, because he hath no spiritual resisting principle in him; for he is flesh, and not spirit, and whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh, and wholly flesh. There is a resisting indeed in a natural man, but it is a resistance of natural light, not of grace, a resistance not of the Will, but of the Conscience; the Will is bent to sin, but natural Conscience puts rubs in the way. Neither is this resistance in spiritual sins (which is the greatest character I know, whereby to distinguish a resistance of natural Conscience, from a resistance by a principle of grace) which natural Conscience doth not so much trouble it self about, as not having light without a spiritual illumination to discern them; but only in gross sins, such as are condemned by common reason; so that if he hath any resistance, it is not in the will of the man, but the will of his Interest, will of his Credit, or the will of his Conscience; not in the rational will complying with, and delighting in the will of God.

6 Proposition; A regenerate man cannot commit any sin with a full consent and bent of will. A man may consent to that which he doth not love. Hereby I distinguish it from the former Proposition. I mean not, that he cannot commit any sin wilfully as sin, for so I believe no man doth; it being against the nature of the creature to do evil, as evil formaliter, but under some other notion of it. Some consent of the will I do acknowledg, because the will as well as the other faculties, is but in part regenerate; as there is not a triumphant light in the understanding, so neither is the grace of the will at present triumphant, but militant; yet it may be rather called the will of sin, than a mans own will. Sometimes a good man is by some sudden motion hurried on to sin, before he can consult law and reason, before he hath his wits well at liberty, before he can compare the temptation or sin with the prohibition of it by the Divine Law. But generally there is a resistance in him, as well as a provocation in sin; for the two contrary principles exert themselves in some measure. Grace resists, and sin provokes: Whereas another that hath no grace, sins with a full consent, because he hath no spiritual resisting principle in him; for he is flesh, and not spirit, and whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh, and wholly flesh. There is a resisting indeed in a natural man, but it is a resistance of natural light, not of grace, a resistance not of the Will, but of the Conscience; the Will is bent to sin, but natural Conscience puts rubs in the way. Neither is this resistance in spiritual sins (which is the greatest character I know, whereby to distinguish a resistance of natural Conscience, from a resistance by a principle of grace) which natural Conscience doth not so much trouble it self about, as not having light without a spiritual illumination to discern them; but only in gross sins, such as are condemned by common reason; so that if he hath any resistance, it is not in the will of the man, but the will of his Interest, will of his Credit, or the will of his Conscience; not in the rational will complying with, and delighting in the will of God.