[2.] The increase of one sin may cause others to decrease, as a wen that grows big and monstrous defrauds other parts of their nourishment. Though all sin be kindly to a natural heart, yet some sins are more apt to take the throne, and other lusts are starved to feed that. As for instance, he that is covetous, by the force of his covetousness and parsimony is made an enemy to prodigality and a friend to frugality ; as Judas, that loved the bag, was against profuseness and wastefulness, John xii. 5, 6. A prodigal man is not covetous, and so more prone to be liberal and free-hearted. A profane man is an enemy of supersti- tion, and loves to be moderate and indifferent in religion. A super- stitious man hates profaneness, and lays out his zeal upon every little trifle that can lay claim to religion, and so he may seem to be a greater friend to zeal. A voluptuary hates despair and morosity, and is more sociable and friendly in converse. Thus, as weeds destroy one another, so do many vices ; so many vices occasion something that is amiable. Ambition makes men diligent, sober, and vigilant to improve their opportunities.
[3.] It may be occasioned partly by discipline and strict education, or else the miseries and calamities of the present life ; for these things, though they do not mortify sin, yet they may much weaken and hinder the discovei-y of it. Solomon often tells us of the force of education, and that the rod of correction gets a great deal of folly out of the heart of children : Prov. xxii. 15, ' Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction driveth it far from him ; ' and as they grow up in years, God takes them into his own discipline. Pharaoh is devout under his plagues, and Ahab under a severe threatening walks softly. God's correction may work some commendable qualities in them.
[4.] By politic government, and laws which keep men within the bounds of their duty, so that they are orderly by constraint, and for fear of penalty, which, if they should follow their pleasure in sinning, they would be exposed to. Austin saith. Leges humance munditoria instrumenta sunt. He compares laws to brooms, which though they cannot make corn of weeds or of chaff, yet they serve to sweep in the corn^ and keep it within the floor. Laws may make men good subjects,
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though not good men. As Seneca tells us, the heathens observed many things'; they may do many things, Non tanquam dijis grata sed tayiquam legibus jussa, magisadmorem, qicamad rem; not as pleasing God, but as required by the law ; not for the thing, but for the fashion ; they may be very harmless, put on a face of goodness, but it is not out of conscience ; the magistrate makes them so, who is ' the minister of God for good,' Kom. xiii. 4.
[5.] Unregenerate men may be translated from the grammar school of nature to the university of grace ; and though they never commence there, and took the degree of true sanctification, yet they may come very near it by common grace, and may not be far from the kingdom of God. This may be by the efficacy of the word, which is very per- suasive and pressing. Take it as it works only in a moral way ; as Herod heard John Baptist, ' and did many things, and heard him gladly,' Mark vi. 20. Or else they may have this common grace by experience of the providence of God over the church or themselves ; when they see God's interest stands out against all assaults : Ps. cxxix. 1, 2, 'Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, now may Israel say : many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, yet have they not prevailed against me.' When they observe that all those that dash against the corner-stone are broken in pieces, that many good men, though molested and troubled, yet visibly have a blessing and a providence that attends them, and that the profane are overtaken in their sins by pursuing judgments, that it is never better with them than when they own that which is good, this cannot but move them to something that is amiable to some sense of religion, and siding with the better party. Or they may have the common gifts of the Spirit, Heb. vi. 4, 5 ; they may be enlightened, may have gifts of prayer and preaching ; some vanishing tastes of the goodness and sweetness of evangelical doctrine, some motions and impulsions, and excitations to good. These are the reasons.
Use 1. It shows us how inexcusable they are in the sight of God, and how just their condemnation will be, that have nothing lovely in them. Certainly they might have had something or other lovely in them, even while they were natural, if they would give their heart to it ; either wisdom or valour, meekness or zeal, humility or charity. Every temper yieldeth some way and means of glorifying God ; and it is their own fault if they have not some endowment or other. I speak this not as to spiritual grace only, which they do not only neglect, but reject the means whereby to get it ; they put away the word of God from them, shut the door upon themselves : Acts xiii. 46, ' Ye put the word from yon, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life ; ' and esteem spiri- tual grace nothing worth, yea, it is folly to them : 1 Cor, ii. 14, ' The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiri- tually discerned.' Yea, they think it as dishonourable and prejudicial to them. But also in respect of moral endowments, I say certainly some crown or other they might have, if they did not uncrown them- selves by sin. Natural men may have brave wits, but they besot them- selves, and quench them in luxury and riot, and pervert those moral inclinations, those seeds of God that were in their nature, while they