Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

ous. Such Sentiments as these hath the Believer of Original Sin, which make him go groaning under the gravedo thereof, as an intolerable burden; this Gemitus sanctorum, as St. Austin calls it, is the first step of this fundamental Mortification.

Secondly, Faith ushers into the Soul a stock of gracious Principles, which conflict against the innate corruption, and labour to drive it out, as the Israelites did the Canaanites, by little and little; there is even in unregenerate Men, a conflict between Reason and the Sensitive Affections.¹ Reason (saith the Philosopher) calls [Greek or Hebrew], to the best things; but the Affections repugn and resist; the Soul is, as it were Paralytic, whilst Reason would move one way to the right hand, Affection moves contrary to the left: Aliudque cupido, mens aliud suadet. Hence the Syllogism of an incontinent man hath (as the Schoolmen observe out of Aristotle) four Propositions,² viz. two universal ones; one whereof is from Reason, That Fornication is not to be committed; another from Passion, that Pleasure is to be pursued; and Passion binds Reason, That it do not subsume and conclude under the first: And whilst it remains so, the Man subsumes and concludes under the second.³ Seneca tells us Silentium regionis, is nothing, Si affectus fremunt; Reason must compose things, or else a•• will be in tumult in the Soul. In this natura conflict, Reason, if improved, to maintain it own grandeur and royalty, may by its Edict ⟨p. 261⟩hush the tumults and mutinies in the Affections, and prevent many shames and turpitudes of Sensuality; but alas, there is nothing of true Mortification in all this, no, not in the Affections themselves, which are not inwardly changed, but only, as the Horse and Mule, held in with the rational bit or bridle; much less in the Reason, in which there is a great deal of vanity, dark ignorance, proud curiosity, fleshly wisdom, vain philosophy, humane folly, and perverse contradiction; in all which, Reason will rather indulge than crucify it self; but Faith ushers in another manner of Conflict. In the Natural Conflict Reason is General, and manages the War; and as the Reason is, so is the strength in Battle, but Humane only: In the Spiritual Conflict, there is a greater than Reason, even Supernatural Grace; which being of Divine extraction, hath in it self a power more than Humane to oppose corruption; and which yet makes it stronger, it hath continual Auxiliaries from the Holy Spirit, which is always standing at the right hand of Grace, as Satan is of Corruption, to back and strengthen it.