A53712:197
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.
Hence are those manifold Cautions that are given us to take heed, that we be not deceived, if we would take heed that we do not sin. See Eph. 5. 6. 1 Cor. 6. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 33. Gal. 6. 7. Luke 21. 8. From all which testimonies we may learn the influence that deceit hath into sin, and consequently the advantage that the Law of Sin hath to put forth its power by its deceitfulness. Where it prevails to deceive, it fails not to bring forth its fruit.
The ground of this efficacy of sin by deceit is taken from the faculty of the soul affected with it. Deceit properly affects the mind; it is the mind that is deceived. When sin attempts any other way of entrance into the soul, as by the Affections, the mind retaining its right and Sovereignty, is able to give check and control unto it. But where the mind is tainted, the prevalency must be great. For the mind or understanding is the leading faculty of the soul, and what that fixes on, the will and affections rush after, being capable of no consideration but what that presents unto them. Hence it is, that though the entanglement of the Affections unto sin be oft-times most troublesome, ⟨p. 103⟩yet the deceit of the mind is always most dangerous; and that because of the place that it possesseth in the soul, as unto all its operations. Its Office is to guide, direct, choose and lead; and if the light that is in us be darkness, how great is that darkness.
The ground of this efficacy of sin by deceit is taken from the faculty of the soul affected with it. Deceit properly affects the mind; it is the mind that is deceived. When sin attempts any other way of entrance into the soul, as by the Affections, the mind retaining its right and Soveraignty, is able to give check and controul unto it. But where the mind is tainted, the prevalency must be great. For the mind or understanding is the leading faculty of the soul, and what that fixes on, the will and affections rush after, being capable of no consideration but what that presents unto them. Hence it is, that though the entanglement of the Affections unto sin be oft-times most troublesome,