First, 1It is a Work suited to their Natures, and that makes it pleasant. As Jesus Christ had in a physical Sense, so every true Christian hath in a moral Sense two Natures in one Person: ⟨p. 108⟩There is the divine Nature or the Nature of God, and there is the humane, corrupt Nature, the Nature of sinful Man, and each of these have Inclinations suited unto them; there is the carnal part, and that is too apt to be seduced and drawn away with the Pleasures of Sin, that are Objects proportioned to the carnal part: But then there is also a divine, and if I may so call it, a supernatural Nature, imprinted by Regeneration, that only doth relish heavenly and spiritual Things: So that it is not more natural to a godly Man by reason of the Propensions of the old Nature to sin against God, than it is natural to him, by reason of the Propensions of the new Nature, to obey and serve God. Now when Nature acts suitably to its own sway and pondus, this must needs cause two Things: First, Facility and Easiness: Secondly, Delight and Complacency. Streams flow from the Fountain with ease, because they take but their natural Course. So the Works of Obedience flow easily from that Fountain Principle of Grace that is broken up in the Hearts of the Children of God, because they flow naturally from them; and therefore because Nature ⟨p. 109⟩makes things easy, that easiness will make them pleasant and delightful. It is true indeed when they work, there is an opposition and reluctancy from their other contrary Nature; for as they act suitably to the one, so they act quite contrary to the other Nature: But doth not the gracious and new Nature as strongly wrestle against and oppose the Workings and Eruptions of the old Nature, as the old doth the Workings of the new? Yes, it doth; and therefore you that are truly Regenerate, never sin because of the easiness of it, because of its suitableness, because else you must offer violence to your Nature if you resist a Temptation. Do you not offer violence to your Nature if you close with that Temptation? You are not all of one piece, if I may so speak, if you are Regenerate. And what? must the corrupt part only be indulged and gratified, and must the renewed part be always opposed? Why should not Grace, since it is as much, nay, more your self than Sin is, why should not that have the same scope and liberty to act freely as Sin doth?
First, 1It is a Work suited to their Natures, and that makes it pleasant. As Jesus Christ had in a phisical Sense, so every true Christian hath in a moral Sense two Natures in one Person: ⟨p. 108⟩There is the divine Nature or the Nature of God, and there is the humane, corrupt Nature, the Nature of sinful Man, and each of these have Inclinations suited unto them; there is the carnal part, and that is too apt to be seduced and drawn away with the Pleasures of Sin, that are Objects proportioned to the carnal part: But then there is also a divine, and if I may so call it, a supernatural Nature, imprinted by Regeneration, that only doth relish heavenly and spiritual Things: So that it is not more natural to a godly Man by reason of the Propensions of the old Nature to sin against God, than it is natural to him, by reason of the Propensions of the new Nature, to obey and serve God. Now when Nature acts suitably to its own sway and pondus, this must needs cause two Things: First, Facility and Easiness: Secondly, Delight and Complacency. Streams flow from the Fountain with ease, because they take but their natural Course. So the Works of Obedience flow easily from that Fountain Principle of Grace that is broken up in the Hearts of the Children of God, because they flow naturally from them; and therefore because Nature ⟨p. 109⟩makes things easie, that easiness will make them pleasant and delightful. It is true indeed when they work, there is an opposition and reluctancy from their other contrary Nature; for as they act suitably to the one, so they act quite contrary to the other Nature: But doth not the gracious and new Nature as strongly wrestle against and oppose the Workings and Eruptions of the old Nature, as the old doth the Workings of the new? Yes, it doth; and therefore you that are truly Regenerate, never sin because of the easiness of it, because of its suitableness, because else you must offer violence to your Nature if you resist a Temptation. Do you not offer violence to your Nature if you close with that Temptation? You are not all of one piece, if I may so speak, if you are Regenerate. And what? must the corrupt part only be indulged and gratified, and must the renewed part be always opposed? Why should not Grace, since it is as much, nay, more your self than Sin is, why should not that have the same scope and liberty to act freely as Sin doth?
- 11. Suitableness of the Work to the Agent
