1. The first cause is their present imperfection. Though grace doth heal all the faculties, yet it doth not totally heal them, or wholly overcome the weakness which is in them. God promiseth to put his law into their hearts and minds, yet both the understanding and will, and all the inferior faculties, they are but in part sanctified. You know our soul is divided into two parts, into the ^i)\xovikov , and the faculties which should command and direct, and into the faculties which should be commanded and directed. The commanding facul- ties are called spirit, and the faculties which should be commanded are called soul. The reason, or the incitation, the affections, the dis- positions, which incline us to things good for us, there is a weak- ness in all these. Whence conies all the weaknesses and errors of the saints ? There is a defect in the leading or commanding part of the soul, which is the understanding and the will. In the under- standing is the directive counsel, and in the will is the imperial power. Now the understanding, which should direct and guide us, is blind and sleepy, and not so vigilant and watchful as it should be ; and so in many cases it proves but a dark and imperfect guide and director to us, and so we err like lost sheep. We have not always so clear and so deep a sense of our duty as we ought, and find not such lively, powerful, and effectual thoughts of God and heavenly things, and so clear a sense, so that the directive part fails us. Then for our wills, winch should command us where the imperial power resides, they are imperfect. There is, I confess, in the regenerate a sincere will to please God in all things, but it is not a perfect will ; so that our will- ing and nilling, our consent and dissent, is not so powerful as it ought to be ; but the will being tainted by the neighbourhood of a distem- pered sense, it yields a little, and bends to the flesh, and gives way to
VBB. 176.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CX1X. 305
evil, and many times it opposeth that which is good ; at least we are often overtaken in a fault, being inconsiderately and suddenly sur- prised, as the apostle useth that expression, Gal. vi. 1, ' If a man be overtaken in a fault.' Though a regenerate man hath a new light put into his mind, he is renewed in the spirit of his mind, though he hath a new bent and bias put upon his heart, yet the imperial and directive power have flesh in them still, and the wisdom of the flesh is so in- grained and kneaded into our natures, that it cannot be totally dispos- sessed, no more than we can sever the leaven and the dough when once they are mingled together. If there be a defect in the governing and leading part of the soul, there will be disorders in the life and conver- sation.
Come we now from the r^ifjuovLKov, the leading faculties, to the faculties which should be commanded and directed. Alas ! they are by sin grown obstinate and masterly, and are so eagerly set upon their objects (carnal vanities) that they will not be reclaimed, but rebel against the direction of conscience and inclinations of the renewed will. The apostle speaks of a law of his members warring against the law of his mind, Eom. vii. 23. In the lower, in the most sensitive faculties, there is much headstrong opposition against the directions of the will. We have but a slender feeble guide. The leading part of the will is defective, and there is much of the wisdom of the flesh there. It is a trouble to the flesh to be restrained from what it de- sires and inclines us to, as a headstrong horse is loath to be governed ; therefore we yield and suffer ourselves to be transported and led away by our passions and carnal affections. Now, though the rebellious and disobedient disposition of the appetite and senses is in a great measure broken and subdued in us by the power of grace, yet the best have somewhat of inordinate sensuality and weakness, and being im- perfect, are tempted by the world and sense, as well as others. Well, then, ever weigh in your mind for your direction these two grand reasons of all the weakness that is in the saints, — there is the debility and the weakness of the leading and commanding part, and the rebel- ling of the inferior faculties, which should be ruled and commanded. (1.) The debility and weakness of the leading and commanding part of the soul. And thence is it that we are so inconsiderate, so dull of apprehension, have such dark and ineffectual thoughts of God and heavenly things ; and thence is it that the will doth not so potently and rulingly command the directive faculties, but is apt to yield to, that it doth not stand upon its authority as it was wont to do. (2.) The other part is the rebellion of the inferior faculties, and stubborn- ness of our sensual and carnal inclinations. Look, as in a kingdom and commonwealth, where are rebellious subjects and a feeble empire, things must needs run into disorder, so here the reins are managed very weak ; there is a feeble empire in the soul, and here are strong rebellious desires not easily controlled, and so draw the soul away. To make this more evident a little, I shall show the order of all human operations, if rightly constituted. Their actions are governed in this maimer : — The understanding and the conscience, they are to guide and direct the will ; the will, according to right reason and conscience, moves the affections ; the affections, according to the counsel and command of the under-