The Nature, Power, Deceit, and Prevalency of Indwelling Sin

Others are forced to live in family and public duties, they find such little benefit and success in private. And here hath been the beginning of the Apostasy of many Professors, and the source of many foolish sensual opinions. Finding this aversation in their minds and affections from closeness and constancy in private spiritual duties, not knowing how to ⟨p. 51⟩conquer and prevail against these difficulties through him who enables us, they have at first been subdued to a neglect of them, first partial, then total, until having lost all conscience of them, they have had a door opened unto all sin and licentiousness, and so to a full and utter Apostasy. I am persuaded there are very few that apostatize from a profession of any continuance, such as our days abound withal, but their door of entrance into the folly of back-sliding, was either some great and notorious sin that bloodied their consciences, tainted their affections, and intercepted all delight of having any thing more to do with God; or else it was a course of neglect in private duties, arising from a weariness of contending against that powerful aversation which they found in themselves unto them. And this also through the craft of Satan hath been improved into many foolish and sensual opinions, of living unto God without, and above any duties of communion. And we find, that after men have for a while choked and blinded their consciences with this pretence, cursed wickedness or sensuality hath been the end of their folly. And the reason of all this is, that the giving way to the Law of sin in the least, is the giving strength unto it: To let it alone is to let it grow, not to conquer it is to be conquered by it.

Others are forced to live in family and publick duties, they find such little benefit and success in private. And here hath been the beginning of the Apostasie of many Professors, and the source of many foolish sensual opinions. Finding this aversation in their minds and affections from closeness and constancy in private spiritual duties, not knowing how to ⟨p. 51⟩conquer and prevail against these difficulties through him who enables us, they have at first been subdued to a neglect of them, first partial, then total, until having lost all conscience of them, they have had a door opened unto all sin and licentiousness, and so to a full and utter Apostasie. I am perswaded there are very few that apostatize from a profession of any continuance, such as our days abound withall, but their door of entrance into the folly of back-sliding, was either some great and notorious sin that bloodied their consciences, tainted their affections, and intercepted all delight of having any thing more to do with God; or else it was a course of neglect in private duties, arising from a weariness of contending against that powerful aversation which they found in themselves unto them. And this also through the craft of Satan hath been improved into many foolish and sensual opinions, of living unto God without, and above any duties of communion. And we find, that after men have for a while choaked and blinded their consciences with this pretence, cursed wickedness or sensuality hath been the end of their folly. And the reason of all this is, that the giving way to the Law of sin in the least, is the giving strength unto it: To let it alone is to let it grow, not to conquer it is to be conquered by it.