A53712:116
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.
Now there are two ways whereby Enemies manage an opposition. First, By force: and Secondly, by fraud and deceit. So when the Egyptians became Enemies to the Children of Israel, and managed an enmity against them, Exod. 1. 10. Pharaoh saith, Let us deal wisely, or rather cunningly and subtly with this People; for so Stephen with respect to this word, expresseth it, Acts 7. 19. by [Greek or Hebrew]; He used all manner of fraudulent Sophistry. And unto this deceit they added force, in their grievous oppressions. This is the way and manner of things where there is a prevailing enmity. And both these are made use of by the Law of Sin in its enmity against God, and our souls.
Now there are two wayes whereby Enemies mannage an opposition. First, By force: and Secondly, by fraud and deceit. So when the Egyptians became Enemies to the Children of Israel, and mannaged an enmity against them, Exod. 1. 10. Pharaoh saith, Let us deal wisely, or rather cunningly and subtilly with this People; for so Stephen with respect to this word, expresseth it, Acts 7. 19. by 〈non-Latin alphabet〉; He used all manner of fraudulent Sophistry. And unto this deceit they added force, in their grievous oppressions. This is the way and manner of things where there is a prevailing enmity. And both these are made use of by the Law of Sin in its enmity against God, and our souls.
I shall begin with the First; or its actings as it were in a way of force, in an open down-right opposition to God and his Law, or the Good that a Believing soul would do in obedience unto God, and his Law. And in this whole matter, we must be careful to steer our course aright, taking the Scripture for our Guide, with Spiritual Reason and Experience for our Companions. For there are many Shelves in our course, which must diligently be avoided, that none who consider these things be troubled without cause, or comforted without a just foundation.