A53712:237
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.
CHAP. IX.
The deceit of Sin in drawing off the mind from a due attendance unto especial Duties of Obedience, instanced in Meditation and Prayer.
How sin by its deceit endeavours to draw off the mind from attending unto that holy frame in walking with God, wherein the soul ought to be preserved, hath been declared. Proceed we now to show how it doth the same work in reference unto those especial duties, by which the designs, workings and prevalency of it may in an especial manner be obviated and prevented ⟨p. 122⟩Sin indeed maintains an enmity against all duties of obedience, or rather with God in them. When I would do good, saith the Apostle, evil is present with me. When ever I would do good, or what good soever I would do, that is spiritually good, good in reference unto God, it is present with me, to hinder me from it, to oppose me in it. And on the other side, all duties of obedience do lie directly against the actings of the Law of sin. For as the flesh in all its actings lusteth against the spirit, so the spirit in all its actings lusteth against the flesh. And therefore every duty performed in the strength and grace of the Spirit, is contrary to the Law of sin. Rom. 8. 13. If ye by the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh. Actings of the Spirit of grace in duties doth this work. These two are contrary. But yet there are some duties, which in their own nature, and by Gods appointment, have a peculiar influence into the weakening and subduing the whole law of sin in its very principles, and chiefest strengths. And these the mind of a Believer ought principally in his whole course to attend unto. And these doth sin in its deceit endeavour principally to draw off the mind from. As in diseases of the body, some remedies, they say, have a specific quality against distempers; so in this disease of the soul, there are some duties that have an especial virtue against this sinful distemper. I shall not insist on many of them, but instance only in two, which seem to me to be of this nature; namely that by Gods designation they have a special tendency towards the ruin of the Law of sin. And then we shall show the ways, methods and means