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

Fourthly, Observe, that reiterated repeated acts of the consent of the will unto sin, may beget a disposition, and inclineableness in it unto the like acts, that may bring the will unto a proneness and readiness to consent unto sin upon easy sollicitation• which is a condition of soul dangerous, and greatly to be watched against.

Fourthly, Observe, that reiterated repeated acts of the consent of the will unto sin, may beget a disposition, and inclineableness in it unto the like acts, that may bring the will unto a proneness and readiness to consent unto sin upon easie sollicitation• which is a condition of soul dangerous, and greatly to be watched against.

Fifthly, This consent of the will, which we have thus described, may be considered two ways.

First, As it is exercised about the circumstances, causes, means and inducements unto sin. Secondly, As it respects this or that actual sin. In the first sense, there is a virtual consent of the will unto sin in every inadvertency unto the prevention of it, in every neglect of duty that makes way for it, in every hearkening unto any temptation leading towards it. In a word, in all the diversions of the mind from its duty, and entanglements of the affections by sin before mentioned. For where there ⟨p. 175⟩is no act of the will formally, or virtually, there is no sin. But this is not that which we now speak of. But in particular the consent of the will unto this or that actual sin, so far as that either sin is committed, or is prevented by other ways and means not of our present consideration. And herein consists the conceiving of sin.