As (1.) When God hath to do with the soul, in the work of conversion, when he convinceth of sin and danger, and sets a man's evils in order before his eyes : These are terrible representations, and fain would the carnal will disengage the thoughts from such sad subjects, and strives by all manner of persuasions and diversions so to do, but all to no purpose, Psal. li. 3. " My sin is ever before i me. The thoughts are fixed, and there is no removing of them. It may give them a little interruption, but they return with the more impetuous violence. And instead of gaining them off, they at last, or rather God by them gains over the will also.
(2.) When Satan hath to do with the soul, in the way of tempta- tion and hellish suggestion : Look, as the carnal will opposes itself to the thoughts in the former case to no purpose ; so that the sanc- tified will opposes itself to them in this case, oft-times with as little effect or success, as he that opposeth his weak breath to the strong current of a mighty river. Well were it, if the sanctified will
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were now the master of the fantasy, and could controul the thoughts of the heart ; but, like a mad horse, the fancy takes the bit in its teeth, and runs whither it plcaseth ; the will cannot govern it. Think quite another way saith the will, turn thy thoughts to other things ; but notwithstanding, the soul turneth a deaf ear to its coun- sels. 2. It cannot quiet and compose a raging conscience, and reduce it at its pleasure to rest and peace. This is the peculiar work of God. He only that stills the stormy seas, can quiet the distressed and tempestuous soul. The impotence of the will, in this case, is known to all that have been in those deeps of trouble. And this is the misery of the devil and the damned, that though they would never so fain, yet they cannot get rid of those tormenting impressions made upon them by their own trembling and condemn- ing consciences. There would not be so many pale, sweating, affrighted consciences on earth, and in hell, if the will had any command or power over them.
Tamfrigida mens est. Criminibus ; tacita sudant prcccordia culpa.
It is an horrible sight to see such a trembling upon all the mem- bers, such a cold sweat upon the panting bosom of a self-condemned, and wrath-presaging soul, in which it can, by no means relieve or help itself. These things are exempt from the liberty and domi- nion of the will of man ; but notwithstanding these exemptions, it is a noble faculty, and hath a vastly extended empire in the soul of man ; it is the door of the soul, at which the Spirit of God knocks for entrance. When this is won, the soul is won to Christ ; and if this stand out in rebellion against him, he is barred out of the soul, and can have no saving union with it. The truth of grace is to be judged and discerned by its compliance with his call, and the measure of grace to be estimated by the degree of its subjection to his will.
VII. The soul of man is not only endued with an understanding and will, but also with various affections and passions, which are of great use and service to it, and speak the excellency of its nature. They are originally designed and appointed for the happiness of man, in the promoting and securing its chiefest good, to which purpose they have a natural aptitude : for the true happiness and rest of the soul not being in itself, nor in any other creature, but in God, the soul must necessarily move out of itself, and beyond all other created beings, to find and enjoy its true felicity in him. The soul considered at a distance from God, its true rest and hap- piness, is furnished and provided with desire and hope to carry it on, and quicken its motion towards him. These are the arms it is to stretch out towards him, in a state of absence from him. And seeing it is to meet with many obstacles, enemies, and difficulties,
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in its course, which hinder its motion, and hazard its fruition of him. God hath planted in it, fear, grief, indignation, jealousy, anger, &c to grapple with, and break through those intercurrent difficulties and hazards * By these weapons in the hands of grace, it conflicts with that which opposes its passages to God, as the apostle expresseth that holy fret and passion of the Corinthians, and what a fume their souls were in by the gracious motion of the irrascible appetite ; 2 Cor. vii. 11. " For behold this self-same thing, that ye sorrowed " after a godly sort ; what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what " clearing yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, " what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge ?" Much like the raging and struggling of waters, which are interrupted in their course by some dam or obstacle which they strive to bear down, and sweep away before them.
But the soul considered in full union with and fruition of God, its supreme happiness, is accordingly furnished with affections of love, delight, and joy, whereby it rests in him and enjoys its proper blessedness in his presence for ever. Yea, even in this life, these affections are in an imperfect degree exercised upon God, according to the prelibations and enjoyments it hath of him by faith, in its way to heaven. In a word,
The true uses, and most excellent ends for which these affections and passions are bestowed upon the soul of man, are to qualify it, and make it a fit subject to be wrought upon in a moral way of per- suasions and allurements, in order to its union with Christ, (for by the affections, as Mr. Fenner rightly observes, the soul becomes marriageable, or capable of being espoused to him) and being so, then to assist it in the prosecution of its full enjoyment in heaven, as we heard but now.
But, alas, how are they corrupted and inverted by sin ! The concupiscible appetite greedily fastens upon the creature, not upon God ; and the irrascible appetite is turned against holiness, not sin. But I must insist no farther on this subject here, it deserves an en- tire treatise by itself.
VIII. The soul of man hath, in the very frame and nature of it, an inclination to the body. There is in it a certain pondus, or inclination which naturally bends or sways it towards matter, or a body. There are three different natures found in living creatures, viz.
* Passio anima nihil aliud est qtiam motus appetitivte virtutis jtrosecutione bom, vel fuga mali, i. e. A passion of the soul is nothing else but the motion of desire in seeking good, and shunning evil.
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