A53712:379
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, If we will look to our own Concernments, they will in a special manner enforce us to adore the wisdom and efficacy of the Providence of God, in stopping the progress of conceived sin. That we are at peace in our Houses, at rest in our Beds, that we have any quiet in our Enjoyments, is from hence alone: Whose Person ⟨p. 200⟩would not be defiled, or destroyed? whose Habitation would not be ruined? whose blood almost would not be shed, if wicked Men had power to perpetrate all their conceived sin? It may be the ruin of some of us hath been conceived a thousand times. We are beholding to this Providence of obstructing sin, for our Lives, our Families, our Estates, our Liberties, for whatsoever is, or may be dear unto us. For may we not say sometimes with the Psalmist, Psal. 57. 4. My Soul is among Lyons, and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of Men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. And how is the deliverance of Men contrived from such Persons, Psal. 58. 6. God breaks their teeth in their mouths, even the great teeth of the young Lyons. He keeps this fire from burning, or quencheth it when it's ready to break out into a flame. He breaks their spears and arrows, so that sometimes we are not so much as wounded by them: Some he cuts off and destroys, some he cuts short in their power, some he deprives of the Instruments whereby alone they can work, some he prevents of their desired opportunities, or diverts by other objects for their lusts, and oftentimes causeth them to spend them among themselves one upon another. We may say therefore with the Psalmist, Psal. 104. 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works, in wisdom hast thou made them all, the Earth is full of thy Riches; and with the Prophet, Hos. 14. 9. Who is wise and he shall understand these things, prudent and he shall know them; all the ways of the Lord are right, and the ⟨p. 201⟩Just shall walk in them, but the Transgressors shall fall therein.