2. The Abundance of Sin that yet remains in us, and the marvellous activity of it in our Souls; we cannot get rid of this cursed Inmate, till our Tabernacle be dissolved, and this House of Clay tumbled into the Dust. Paul groaned sorely under it, Oh wretched Man that I am, who shall deliver me from ⟨p. 93⟩the Body of this Death? Rom. 7. 24. And it is called Sin, that doth easily beset us, Heb. 12. 10. Well then, since Sin is not nullified, it must be mortified. It works, it wars, there is a marvellous activity in it, it is very active and restless: Rom. 7. 8. Sin wrought in me all manner of concupiscence, he means sinful nature. And the Apostle James tells us (Jam. 4. 5.) The Spirit that dwelleth in us, lusteth to envy: there is not a sleepy, but a stirring Principle always inclining us to evil, and hindering that which is good. Sin doth not only make us a little flexible and yielding to Temptations, but doth hurry us, and impel us thereunto; It is a Law warring in our Members, that brings us into Captivity to Sin. Rom. 7. 23. Corrupt Nature is not a tame thing, that works not, till it be irritated by the suggestions of Satan, or temptations of the World, but is like a living Spring, that pours out Water of its own accord; it will not let us alone, the Heart of Man is evil continually, and so it always hinders us from that that is good. Rom. 7. 21. When I would do good, evil is present with me; it blunts the edge of our Affections, it seeks to weaken our purposes by unbelieving thoughts, or drawing us away from God by the lure of some sensitive delight, in stealing our Hearts from him, in the very duties, and solemn addresses we make to him, distracting our minds with thoughts of the World, and the Pomp and Glory thereof, and so turns our very Duties into Sin, and makes us lose the comfort and sweetness of them: it blasts and perverts our most sincere endeavours. Well then, without this Salt of the Covenant, if this be so, what shall we do? have we not need to keep humble and watchful? if Sin be stirring, we must be stirring against it, and improve the grace of the Holy Spirit upon the account of Christ's Death, and use all good means that it may be subdued in us.
2. The Abundance of Sin that yet remains in us, and the marvellous activity of it in our Souls; we cannot get rid of this cursed Inmate, till our Tabernacle be dissolved, and this House of Clay tumbled into the Dust. Paul groaned sorely under it, Oh wretched Man that I am, who shall deliver me from ⟨p. 93⟩the Body of this Death? Rom. 7. 24. And it is called Sin, that doth easily beset us, Heb. 12. 10. Well then, since Sin is not nullified, it must be mortified. It works, it wars, there is a marvellovs activity in it, it is very active and restless: Rom. 7. 8. Sin wrought in me all manner of concupiscence, he means sinful nature. And the Apostle Iames tells us (Iam. 4. 5.) The Spirit that dwelleth in us, lusteth to envy: there is not a sleepy, but a stirring Principle always inclining us to evil, and hindring that which is good. Sin doth not only make us a little flexible and yeelding to Temptations, but doth hurry us, and impel us thereunto; It is a Law warring in our Members, that brings us into Captivity to Sin. Rom. 7. 23. Corrupt Nature is not a tame thing, that works not, till it be irritated by the suggestions of Satan, or temptations of the World, but is like a living Spring, that pours out Water of its own accord; it will not let us alone, the Heart of Man is evil continually, and so it always hinders us from that that is good. Rom. 7. 21. When I would do good, evil is present with me; it blunts the edge of our Affections, it seeks to weaken our purposes by unbelieving thoughts, or drawing us away from God by the lure of some sensitive delight, in stealing our Hearts from him, in the very duties, and solemn addresses we make to him, distracting our minds with thoughts of the World, and the Pomp and Glory thereof, and so turns our very Duties into Sin, and makes us lose the comfort and sweetness of them: it blasts and perverts our most sincere endeavours. Well then, without this Salt of the Covenant, if this be so, what shall we do? have we not need to keep humble and watchful? if Sin be stirring, we must be stirring against it, and improve the grace of the Holy Spirit upon the account of Christ's Death, and use all good means that it may be subdued in us.
