A second volume of discourses or sermons on several scriptures

Then Thirdly Observe, No Action can be Holy that doth not flow from the Image of God in the Soul, as from its principle. Every Action is sinful that hath not the Glory of God for its end, now no Action can have the Glory of God for its end, that hath not the Image o• God for its principle, and therefore Man being despoiled of this Image of God there is no Action of any Man in the state of Nature but what is sinful and corrupt: And hence it is that in Regeneration God again stamps his Image upon the Soul, not indeed so perfectly as at Man's first Creation, but yet in such a ⟨p. 223⟩degree as doth thorough Grace enable him to Act Holily, and in some measure according to the will of God.

Fourthly, Though Man be despoiled of the Image of God, and cannot Act Holily, yet he is a busy and active Creature, and must and will be still acting; he hath an active Nature, and he hath active Faculties still left him, though the Image of God that should make those Actions Holy is justly taken from him. And here at last we have traced out the true cause of that strong propension that there is in all Men unto Sin. While the Soul enjoyed the Image of God, it sought especially to do all in reference unto God, but now that it hath lost that Image it cannot any longer raise up its Actions to a suitableness to the Will of God, and therefore now it sinks them, and seeks only to please its own Carnal Desires and Appetite. Take the whole resolution of it in Two or Three Words: The Nature of the Soul makes it prone and inclined to Act, for it is a busy active Creature, and if it Acts it must Sin, because it hath not the Image of God to raise its Actions to a Holy and ⟨p. 224⟩Divine conformity to the Will of God; and therefore now to be prone to act is to be prone to sin; and this is the true ground of that strong Propension that is in all Men, to that which is evil and sinful.

Fourthly, Though Man be despoiled of the Image of God, and cannot Act Holily, yet he is a busie and active Creature, and must and will be still acting; he hath an active Nature, and he hath active Faculties still left him, though the Image of God that should make those Actions Holy is justly taken from him. And here at last we have traced out the true cause of that strong propension that there is in all Men unto Sin. While the Soul enjoyed the Image of God, it sought especially to do all in reference unto God, but now that it hath lost that Image it cannot any longer raise up its Actions to a suitableness to the Will of God, and therefore now it sinks them, and seeks only to please its own Carnal Desires and Appetite. Take the whole resolution of it in Two or Three Words: The Nature of the Soul makes it prone and inclined to Act, for it is a busie active Creature, and if it Acts it must Sin, because it hath not the Image of God to raise its Actions to a Holy and