A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is, by pregnant texts of Scripture vindicated from false glosses / by Anthony Burgess.

¶. 4.

The Privacy and Propriety of the Will.

SEcondly, Another extensive and powerfull defilement of the will is a conse∣quent from the former, viz. The Privacy and Propriety of it; For whereas by the primitive Institution our will is to be commensurated and regulated by the will of God; now it naturally abhorreth and refuseth any such agreement, as if our will were to take place of Gods will, as if the prayer were that our will (not Gods will) might be done; In this is an Abysse of all evil, that our will naturally inclineth to be independent on Gods will; we would have that a measure and rule even to Gods will, that God should not will, but what we would have: Oh hor∣rible blasphemy and confusion! for the humane will of the Lord Christ was not a rule and measure of things to be done, being the will of a creature, therefore he prayeth, Not my will, but thy will be done, Luk. 26. 39. If then Christs humane will was to be regulated by that superiour and increated will, how much more is the will of a sinfull and corrupt man; This then is that which maketh the whole soul like a Blackmoor; This is the essence (as it were) of all sinne; A mans own will, not Gods will is regarded, but a mans own proper will is wholly followed, we would give Laws to God, and not God to us; Whensoever thy heart is carried out to lusts, to any wickedness, What is this but to exalt thy will, and to depress the will of God? Hath God said, Be not proud? thou wilt be proud: Hath God said, Swear not? thou wilt swear: Thus all sinne is nothing but a mans own will lifted up against the will of God: No wonder then if one said, Cesset voluntas propria & non ardebit g••henna; Let there be no longer

our own will, and there will be no longer any hell; It's this proper private will of ours that was the cause of hell: Adam and Eve they preferred their will before Gods will, and that brought in death and demnation: Therefore regeneration is the writing of Gods Law in our hearts, whereby we come to say, as Christ, I come to do thy will O God, and Paul immediately upon his conversion saith, Lord what wilt thou have me do, he giveth up his will as a blanck on which God may write his will, O Lord there shall not be any longer my will to persecute, my will to oppose thy Church, I will break this will of mine, renounce this will of mine: Thus as a vessel melted in the fire may be put into any forme or fashion the artificer pleaseth, so was it with Paul's will: This proper private will of thine, likewise maketh all the trouble and misery thou meetest with; it is thy own will that maketh thee to walk so heavily and dis∣contentedly, for were thy will resigned up into Gods, were thou able to say in all things, the will of the Lord be done, I have no will, but what God would have me to exercise; this would keep thee in a quiet calm frame all the day long, whereas now all the dispute and contention is, whether thy will or Gods will must give place to each other. Oh vain and wretched man! how long shall this self-will of thine be thy ruine; Is it not reason that the will of the creature should give place to the will of the Creator, as the starres do not appear, when the Sunne beginneth to arise.