Fourthly, Wickedness carrieth clearness, yea fullness of consent in sin. A wicked man may have many checks at sin from his conscience, but he hath none from his will. And a wicked man may have some motions to good from his conscience, but he hath none from his will. When a wicked man abstains from doing evil, he wills it; and when he doth good, he wills it not. In nature, the act and the consent go both to evil, I do evil, and I will do it, is the stubborn voice of corrupt nature. In grace, though the act goes sometimes to evil, yet the consent doth not. The evil which I would not, that do I, is the mournful voice of grace. In glory, both act and consent go to good, and neither of them to any evil. The good which I will, I do, the evil which I would not, I do not, shall be for ever the triumphant voice of glory. When the Apostle Paul (Rom. 7.) bewailed his own bondage under corruption, he yet professed that what ever evil he did, he consented not to do it. And though there may be some kind of consent in the sinning of a godly man, yet it is not such a consent, as in a wicked man: For as a wicked man, though he may sometimes show his willingness, and give his consent to do good, to hear the Word, to pray, &c. Yet it is not a clear, a full and free consent, the will never comes up heartily in it: so there may be some kind of consent, a negative consent in a godly man doing evil, he may not (as to that act) resist or deny; as when a question is put to the vote, a man who doth not affirm, may be said to give some consent, when he suspends his voice, and doth not openly oppose. Thus a godly man when a temptation cometh, never gives a direct yea of consent, yet sometimes not giving his no, there is a kind of consent, a middle act, not a clear or determinate act of consent. Now a wicked man, as he is taken captive by the devil at his will (2 Tim. 2.26.) that is at Satan's will, the devil takes him captive when he pleaseth: so also at his own will; He is pleased to be taken captive by the devil.
Fourthly, Wickednesse carrieth clearnesse, yea fulnesse of consent in sinne. A wicked man may have many checks at sinne from his conscience, but he hath none from his will. And a wicked man may have some motions to good from his conscience, but he hath none from his will. When a wicked man abstains from doing evil, he wils it; and when he doth good, he wils it not. In nature, the act and the consent go both to evil, I doe evil, and I will do it, is the stubborn voice of corrupt nature. In grace, though the act goes sometimes to evil, yet the consent doth not. The evil which I would not, that do I, is the mournfull voice of grace. In glory, both act and consent go to good, and neither of them to any evil. The good which I will, I doe, the evil which I would not, I do not, shall be for ever the triumphant voice of glory. When the Apostle Paul (Rom. 7.) bewailed his own bondage under corruption, he yet professed that what ever evil he did, he consented not to do it. And though there may be some kinde of consent in the sinning of a godly man, yet it is not such a consent, as in a wicked man: For as a wicked man, though he may sometimes shew his willingnesse, and give his consent to do good, to hear the Word, to pray, &c. Yet it is not a clear, a full and free consent, the will never comes up heartily in it: so there may be some kinde of consent, a negative consent in a godly man doing evil, he may not (as to that act) resist or deny; as when a question is put to the vote, a man who doth not affirm, may be said to give some consent, when he suspends his voice, and doth not openly oppose. Thus a godly man when a temptation cometh, never gives a direct yea of consent, yet sometimes not giving his no, there is a kinde of consent, a middle act, not a clear or determinate act of consent. Now a wicked man, as he is taken captive by the devil at his will (2 Tim. 2.26.) that is at Satans will, the devil takes him captive when he pleaseth: so also at his own will; He is pleased to be taken captive by the devil.
