A53712:160
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.
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 ⟨p. 84⟩prevail in them, and compel them to serve it in the lusts thereof, that it should have Dominion over them, that they should be Captives and slaves unto it. This is that which David prays so earnestly against, Psalm. 19. 12, 13. Cleanse thou me from secret faults, keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins, let them not have dominion over me, then shall I be upright. He supposeth the continuance of the Law of Sin in him, ver. 12. which will bring forth errors of life, and secret sins against which he findeth relief in pardoning and cleansing mercy which he prays for. This saith he will be my condition. But for sins of pride and boldness, such all sins are, that get Dominion in a man, that make a Captive of a man, the Lord restrain thy servant from them. For what sin soever gets such power in a man, be it in its own nature small or great, it becomes in him in whom it is, a sin of boldness, pride, and presumption. For these things are not reckoned from the nature or kind of the sin, but from its prevalency and customariness, wherein its pride, boldness▪ and contempt• of God doth consist. To the same purpose, if I mistake not, prays Jabez, 1 Chron. 4. 10. O that thou wouldst bless me indeed and enlarge my Coast, and that thine hand may be with me, and that thou wouldst keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me. The holy man took occasion from his own name to pray against sin that that might not be a grief and sorrow to him by its power and prevalency. I confess sometimes it may come to this with a Believer, that for a season he may be lead Captive by some particular sin. It may have so much ⟨p. 85⟩prevalency in him, as to have power over him. So it seems to have been with David when he lay so long in his sin without repentance. And was plainly so with those in