A53712:159
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.
First, It is not directly the power and actings of the Law of Sin that are here expressed, but its success in and upon its actings. But success is the greatest evidence of power, and leading Captive in War is the height of success. None can aim at greater success, than to lead their Enemies Captive. And it is a peculiar expression in the Scripture of great success. So the Lord Christ on his victory over Satan, is said to lead Captivity Captive, Ephes. 4. 8. That is, to conquer him, who had conquered and prevailed upon others. And this he did when by death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the Devil, Heb. 2. 14. Here then a great prevalency and power of sin in its warring against the soul is discovered. It so wars, as to lead Captive; which had it not great power, it could not do, especially against that resistance of the soul which is included in this expression.
First, It is not directly the power and actings of the Law of Sin that are here expressed, but its success in and upon its actings. But success is the greatest evidence of power, and leading Captive in War is the height of success. None can aime at greater success, than to lead their Enemies Captive. And it is a peculiar expression in the Scripture of great success. So the Lord Christ on his victory over Satan, is said to lead Captivity Captive, Ephes. 4. 8. That is, to conquer him, who had conquered and prevailed upon others. And this he did when by death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the Devil, Heb. 2. 14. Here then a great prevalency and power of sin in its warring against the soul is discovered. It so wars, as to lead Captive; which had it not great power, it could not do, especially against that resistance of the soul which is included in this expression.
Secondly, It is said, that it leads the soul captive unto the Law of Sin. Not to this or that sin, particular sin, actual sin, but to the Law of Sin. God for the most part ordereth things so, and gives out such supplies of grace unto Believers, as that they shall not be made a prey unto this or that particular sin, that it should