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

Hence it is, that when the soul is oftentimes doing as it were quite another thing, engaged quite upon another design, sin starts that in the heart or imaginations of it, that carries it away into that which is evil and sinful. Yea, to manifest its power, sometimes when the soul is seriously engaged in the mortification of any sin, it will by one means or other lead it away into a dalliance with that very sin whose ruin it is seeking, and whose mortification it is engaged in. But as there is in this operation of the Law of Sin, a special enticing or entangling, we shall speak unto it fully afterwards. Now these surprisals can be from nothing but an habitual propensity unto evil in the principle from whence they proceed. Not an habitual inclination unto actual sin in the mind or heart, but an habitual propensity unto evil in the sin that is in the mind or heart. This prevents the soul with its figments. How much communion with God is hereby prevented, how many Meditations are disturbed, how much the minds and Consciences of Men have been defiled by this acting of sin, some may have observed. I know no greater burden in the life of a Believer than these involuntary surprisals of soul involuntary I say, as to the actual consent of the Will, but not so in respect of that corruption which is in the Will, and is the Principle of them. And it is in respect unto these, that the Apostle makes his complaint, Rom. 7. 24.

Hence it is, that when the soul is oftentimes doing as it were quite another thing, engaged quite upon another design, sin starts that in the heart or imaginations of it, that carryes it away into that which is evil and sinful. Yea, to manifest its power, sometimes when the soul is seriously engaged in the mortification of any sin, it will by one means or other lead it away into a dalliance with that very sin whose ruine it is seeking, and whose mortification it is engaged in. But as there is in this operation of the Law of Sin, a special enticing or entangling, we shall speak unto it fully afterwards. Now these surprizals can be from nothing but an habitual propensity unto evil in the principle from whence they proceed. Not an habitual inclination unto actual sin in the mind or heart, but an habitual propensity unto evil in the sin that is in the mind or heart. This prevents the soul with its figments. How much communion with God is hereby prevented, how many Meditations are disturbed, how much the minds and Consciences of Men have been defiled by this acting of sin, some may have observed. I know no greater burthen in the life of a Believer than these involuntary surprizals of soul involuntary I say, as to the actual consent of the Will, but not so in respect of that corruption which is in the Will, and is the Principle of them. And it is in respect unto these, that the Apostle makes his complaint,