were here thought upon by the compilers of this article, imports no contradiction to any thing I have delivered. The truth is, I have afferted no more concerning the curableness of original corruption, than what is neceffary to fecure the interest of boliness, as well as the honour of the Word and Spirit. I have too often had occafion to obferve, that the ftating our obligation to reduce original corruption too laxly, minifters not a little to the carnal confidence of supine and careless perfons. How greedily do fome imbibe, and how fond are they of this notion, that the flesh, even in the regenerate, does always luft against the Spirit? And the next thing is, to look upon their darling errors, as unavoidable infirmities, flowing from the incurable diftemper of original fin. To the end therefore, that under colour and pretence of the impoffibility of a perfect cure and reftitution of our nature to perfect innocence and unspotted purity, we may not fit down contented in an impure ftate, and never advance to those degrees of health and innocence, which we may, and ought actually to arrive at; I think fit here, to guard the doctrine of original fin with this one general caution.

That we be very careful not to mistake contracted, for natural corruption; not to miftake a fuper-induced nature, defaced by

all

all the flime and mud which popular errors and fashions leave upon it, for original nature, or nature in that ftate in which it enters the world. 'Tis, I doubt, a very hard thing to find but one arrived at any maturity of years, in whom nature is the fame thing now that it was in the womb or the cradle; in whom there are no worse propenfions than what neceffarily flow from the frame and composition of his being. Alas! our original depravation, be it what it will, is very betimes improved by falfe principles and foolish customs; by a careless education, and by the blandishments and infinuations of the world: and every man is so partial to himself, that he is very willing to have his defect and errors pass under the name of natural and unavoidable ones, because this feems to carry in it its own apology. This is a fatal error, and continues men in their vices; nay, gives them peace in them too, to their lives end: for why fhould not a man forbear attempting what he despairs of effecting? To prevent which, I earnestly defire my reader to confider, that all who have treated this doctrine of original fin with any folidity or prudence, do carry the matter as far at least, as I have done: they teach not only, that original corruption may be pruned and lopped, but that

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it

it may be cut down, mortified, and dried up. That, fince no man can affure himself how far he may advance his conqueft over his natural corruption, and the intereft of every man's fafety and glory obliges him to advance it as far as he can; he muft never ceafe fighting against it, while it fights against him. That, fince every fin is fo far mortal as it is voluntary, and has as much guilt in it as freedom, every man ought to be extremely jealous, left he be fubject to any vicious inclination, that is in reality the product, not of nature, but of choice. And laftly, fince tho' much lefs than habitual goodness may constitute a man in a ftate of grace; yet nothing lefs can produce Perfection, or a constant affurance of eternal happiness: therefore no man ought to acquiefce, while he fees himfelf fhort of this; and every man should remember, that his goodness ought to confift in a habit of thofe virtues to which he is by nature the moft averfe. I have now dispatched my firft enquiry, and refolved how far original fin is curable. The next is,

3. 2. How this cure may be effected: And here 'tis plain what we are to aim at in general: for if original righteousness confifts, as I think it cannot be doubted, in

the

.

the fubordination of the body to the foul, and the foul to God; and original corruption, in the fubverfion of this order; then the cure must confift in reftoring this fubordination, by the weakning and reducing the power of the body, and by quickning and ftrengthning the mind, and fo re-establishing its foveraignty and authority. The fcriptures accordingly let us know that this is the great defign of religion, and the great business of man, I Cor. ix. 25. And every man that striveth for the maftery, is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. And this St. Paul illuftrates and explains by his own example, in the following Words: I therefore fo run, not as uncertainly; fo fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into fubjection. The preference given to the cares aud appetites of the body, or of the mind, is the diftinguishing character which conftitutes and demonstrates man either holy or wicked: They that are of the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh, and they that are of the Spirit, the things of the Spirit, Rom. viii. 5. And the threats of the gofpel belong to the fervants of the flesh, its promifes to the fervants of the Spirit: For if ye live after the flesh, ye fhall dye; but if ye through the

Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye fhall live, Rom. viii. 13. He that foweth to his flesh, fhall of the flesh reap corruption; but be that foweth to the Spirit, fhall of the Spirit reap life everlafting, Gal. vi. 8. I grant that in these places and elsewhere very commonly, as by the fpirit is meant the mind enlightened and aided by the grace of God; fo by the body or flesh is meant our inferior nature; not juft fuch as it proceeds out of the womb, but as it is further depraved by a carnal and worldly converfation. However, fince original fin is the feed or root of voluntary or cuftomary corruption, thefe texts do properly and directly enough ferve to the confirmation of the doctrine for which they are alledged. This then is the great duty of man, this is the great end which he is always to have in his eye, the mortifying the body, and entirely fubjugating it to the reafon of the mind. Here the Chriftian warfare must begin, and here end; for he, who has crucified the body with the lufts and affections thereof, has entred into reft, as far as this life is capable of it: he, that lays the foundation of morals here, does build upon a rock; and he, that here pushes his fuccefs to the utmoft point, has reached the highest round in the scale of Perfection, and given the finishing strokes

to