Now, there is commonly a twofold event of men's falling under the power of temptations, and thereby into great actual sins: —
1. God sometimes takes occasion from them to awaken their con-
CHAP. VI.] IN THE INSTANCE OF AUGUSTINE. 343
sciences unto a deep sense not only of that sin in particular whose guilt they have contracted, but of their other sins also. The great Physician of their souls turns this poison into a medicine, and makes that wound which they have given themselves to be the lancing of a festered sore; for whereas their oscitancy, prejudices, and custom of sinning, have taken away the sense of lesser sins, and secure them from reflections from them, the stroke on their consciences from those greater provocations pierceth so dee'p as that they are forced to en- tertain thoughts of looking out after a release or remedy. So did they of old at the sermon of Peter, when he charged them with the guilt of a consent to the crucifying of Jesus Christ : " They were jDricked in their heart, and said. Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Actsii. 36, 37.
2. With others it proves a violent entrance into a farther pursuit of sin. The bounds of restraints, with the influence of natural light, being broken up and rejected, men's lusts being let loose, do break through all remaining obstacles, and run out into the greatest com- pass of excess and riot; observing no present evil to ensue on what they have done, according to their first fears, they are emboldened to greater wickedness, Eccles. viii. 11. And by this means is their con- version unto God rendered more difficult, and men thus wander away more and more from him unto the greatest distance that is recover- able by grace; for, —
Fifthly, A course in, and a custom of, sinning with many ensues hereon. Such the apostle treats concerning, Eph. iv. 18, 19, "Being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness." Custom of sinning takes away the sense of it ; the course of the world takes away the shame of it ; and love to it makes men greedy in the pursuit of it. See Confess, lib. ii. cap. 6. And this last effect of sin, as incited, provoked, and assisted by temptations, hath great variety in the effects and degrees of it. Hence are the various courses of unhumbled sinners in the world, wherein the outrage and excess of some seems to justify others in their more sedate irregularities and less conspicuous provocations. Yea, some who are not in any better state and condition as to their interest in the covenant of God than others, will yet not only startle at but really abhor those outrages of sin and wickedness which they fall into. Now, this difference ariseth not from hence, that the na- ture of all men is not equally corrupt and depraved, but that God is pleased to make his restraining grace effectual towards some, to keep them within those bounds of sinning which they shall not pass over, and to permit others so to fall under a conjunction of their lusts and temptations as that they proceed unto all manner of evil. More- over, there are peculiar inclinations unto some sins, if not inlaid
344 THE MANNER OF CONVERSION EXPLAINED [BOOK III.
in, yet much enhanced and made obnoxious unto incitations by, the temperature of the body ; and some are more exposed unto temptations in the world from their outward circumstances and oc- casions of Hfe. Hereby are some even j)recipitated to all manner of evil. But still " the old man, which is corrupt according to the de- ceitful lusts," is the same naturally in all. All difference as to good from evil, — I mean not as to the nature of the things themselves, but as to men's interest in them, so as to adhere to the one and avoid the other, — is from the will of God. Thus he secretly prepares for some a better temperature of nature, docile and pliable unto such notices of things as may entertain their minds, and satisfy them above sensual delights. And some he disposeth, in their education, callings, societies, aims, and designs in the world, into ways inconsistent with open lewdness, which will much balance their inclinations, besides his secret internal actings on their hearts and minds, whereof after- ward. This is excellently expressed by Austin, Confess, lib. ii. cap. 7: " Diligam te, Domine, et gratias agam, et confitear nomini tuo, quoniam tanta dimisisti mihi mala et nefaria opera mea. GratiaB tuas deputo et misericordia tuse quod peccata mea tanquam glacieni solvisti, gratise tuse deputo et qusecunque non feci mala ; quid enim non facere potui qui etiam gratuitum facinus amavi? Et omnia mihi dimissa esse fateor, et quse mea sponte feci mala, et quffi te duce non feci. Quis est hominum, qui suam cogitans infirmitatem, audet vi- ribus suis tribuere castitatem atque innocentiam suam, ut minus amet te, quasi minus ei necessaria fuerit misericordia tua, qua, condonas peccata conversis ad te? Qui enim vocatus ad te secutus est vocem tuam et vitavit, et quse me de raeipso recordantem et fatentem legit, non me derideat ab eo medico segrum sanari, a quo sibi prestitum est ut non segrotaret, vel potius ut minus segrotaret ; et ideo te tantun- dem imo vero amplius diligat, quia per quem me videt tantis pecca- torum meorum languoribus exui, per eum se videt tantis peccatorum languoribus non implicari;" — " I will love thee, 0 Lord, and thank thee, and confess unto thy name, because thou hast forgiven me my evil and nefarious deeds. I impute it to thy grace and mercy that thou hast made my sins to melt away as ice, and I impute it to thy grace as to all the evils which I have not done; for what could not I have done who loved wickedness for itself? All I acknowledge are forgiven me, both the evils that I have done of my own accord, and what through thy guidance I have not done. Who is there who, considering his own weakness, dare ascribe his chastity or innocency unto his own strength, that he may less love thee, as though thy mercy were less necessary unto him, whereby thou forgivest the sins of them that are converted to thee. For let not him who, being called of thee, and having heard thy voice, hath avoided the evils