[2.] For vcUe, to be willing. The force of the new creature lieth in the love of God, fc>r we are never converted to God till he hath our liearts, till we love him with all our soul, with all our might and strength, and hate what is contrary to him : Ps. xcvii. 10, ' Ye that love the Lord, hate evil.' Now, surely they that love God and hate evil are at liberty more than others to serve and please God and avoid sin. Hate sin once, and it hath little power over you.
[3.] For 2^0886, or the active power. The wonder is rather how he can sin deliberately, voluntarily, than how he cannot sin, 1 John iii. 9 ; and for doing good, m-dvTa la-xOo), Phil. iv. 13, ' I can do all things.' Eph. ii. 10, A spiritual man is ' prei)ared for every good work.'
The assistant power which accompanieth the new creature in all his actions doth certainly give him a great advantage of liberty to know, will, and do things pleasing unto God. As he doth first convert us unto God, and quicken us when we are dead in trespasses and sins, so after conversion, when the principles of a new life are put into us, he Btill helpeth us : and as all creatures depend upon God m esse conscr- vari et ajyercm, Acts xvii. 2, so doth the new creature depend on the Spirit ; he leadeth and guideth all the children of God to their everlasting estate, Rom. viii. 14. He assists the will and the vital power, Phil. ii. 13; otherwise, we may complain with I'aul, Rom, vii. 18, ' For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not.' There may be a will or an inclination, but it can be brought into no efiect. He cleareth the mind, which otherwise would be blinded by temptations, excites the will, which otherwise would be blunted with oppositions, assists the vital power, which else would be obstructed and impeded from producing its eiFects.
2. That a Christian hath a liberty or power of walking according to the fiesh. The opposite principle, though it be broken so far that it is not in habitual predominancy, yet doth too often prevail over us ; otherwise it were impossible to sin, or to be unjust, unmerciful, unmindful of God and heavenly things, unchaste, intemperate, or licentious in our actions; and all the admonitions and exhorta- tions of the word, to keep the regenerate from yielding to the enticements of the flesh, would be in vain, if they could not possibly yield to them. In heaven, indeed, there need no dissunsions from sin, because the glorified saints are above all possibility of sinning ; there is no devil to tempt, nor world to entice, nor flesh to incline them to be seduced by those temptations : but earth is not heaven. Here
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mortified lusts may awaken, and recover strength by a temptation. But more distinctly these arguments show it : —
[1.] That though the inclination be to God and heaven, which is the fruit of saving grace, yet the acts of it are voluntary. Grace is a real, active, working thing, but it doth not work necessarily, as fire burnetii; it must be excited and stirred up, both by the Spirit of God, who ' worketh in us, both to will and to do/ Phil. ii. 13, and by ourselves. We must uval^coTTvpelv, 2 Tim. i. 6. We must still be blowing up this lioly fire, as the priest did the fire of the altar to keep it burning ; and its motions must be hearkened to, cherished, and complied Avithal, if we would keep the carnal part under, and prevent it from breaking out into shameful acts. But as we grow remiss or careless in our duty, sin acquireth and prevaileth ovxn- us.
[2.] The flesh which remaineth in us is importunate to be pleased ; and tiiough it be not superior in the soul, yet it hath a great deal of strength, that still we need, even to the very last, to keep w\itching and striving, and must resolve to be deaf to its entreaties and solicita^ tions : 1 Peter i. 14, ' Not fashioning yourselves to the former lusts of your ignorance,' or accommodating yourselves to please the flesli ; tliat is, they must not cast their conversations into a carnal mould, nor suffer their choice and actions to be directed and governed by the influence pf the flesh, or give up themselves to the satisfaction of their sinful desires. In short, former lusts are but in part subdued, our old love to them may be soon kindled, and the bias of corruption gather strength again, and the gates of the senses are always open to let in such objects as take part with the flesh and stir it up. Therefore we must not imagine that there is no need of diligence, or striving and watching. Holy Paul saw a need of ' beating down his body ° lest, after he had preached to others, he himself should be a caslaway,' 1 Cor. ix. 27. After so many years' service in the cause of Christ, this great champion was not secure of the adversary he carried about with him. There is need of caution to the last, that we do not revert into our old slavery. The contrary principle in us still retaineth some life and vigour, though much abated ; there is not such a con-naturality and agreement between the heart and sin as there was before ; but yet sin still dwelleth and worketh in us, and we are often foiled by it.