A53712:102
The Nature, Power, Deceit, and Prevalency of Indwelling Sin
The nature, power, deceit, and prevalency of the remainders of indwelling-sin in believers together with the ways of its working and means of prevention opened, evinced, and applied with a resolution of sundry cases of conscience thereunto appertaining.The nature, power, deceit, and prevalency of the remainders of indwelling-sin in believers together with the wayes of its working and means of prevention opened, evinced, and applyed with a resolution of sundry cases of conscience thereunto appertaining.
London: printed for Thomas Cockerill, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It may be some will pretend, they find it not so in themselves, but they have freedom and liberty in and unto all the duties of obedience that they attend unto. But I fear, this pretended liberty will be found upon examination to arise from one or both of these causes. First, Ignorance of the true state and condition of their own souls, of their inward man and its actings towards God. They know not how it is with them, and therefore are not to be believed in what they report. They are in the dark and neither know what they do, nor whither they are going. It is like the Pharisee knew little of this matter, which made him boast of his duties to God himself. Or, secondly, It may be what ever duties of worship or obedience such persons perform, they may through want of faith, and an interest in Christ, have no communion with God in them. And if so, sin will make but little opposition unto them therein. We speak of them whose hearts are exercised with these things, and if under their complaints of them, and groanings for deliverance from them, others cry out unto them, Stand off, we are holier than ye, they are willing to bear their condition, as knowing that their way may be safe, though it be troublesome, and being willing to see their own dangers, that they may avoid the ruin which others fall into.
It may be some will pretend, they find it not so in themselves, but they have freedom and liberty in and unto all the duties of obedience that they attend unto. But I fear, this pretended liberty will be found upon examination to arise from one or both of these causes. First, Ignorance of the true state and condition of their own souls, of their inward man and its actings towards God. They know not how it is with them, and therefore are not to be believed in what they report. They are in the dark and neither know what they do, nor whither they are going. It is like the Pharisee knew little of this matter, which made him boast of his duties to God himself. Or, secondly, It may be what ever duties of worship or obedience such persons perform, they may through want of faith, and an interest in Christ, have no communion with God in them. And if so, sin will make but little opposition unto them therein. We speak of them whose hearts are exercised with these things, and if under their complaints of them, and groanings for deliverance from them, others cry out unto them, Stand off, we are holier than ye, they are willing to bear their condition, as knowing that their way may be safe, though it be troublesome, and being willing to see their own dangers, that they may avoid the ruine which others fall into.