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

Fifthly, Those who have received benefit by any of the ways mentioned, may know to whom they owe their preservation, and not look on it as a common thing. When you have conceived sin, hath God weakened your power for sin, or denied you opportunity, or took away the object of your lusts, or diverted your thoughts by new Providences, know assuredly that you have received mercy thereby. Though God deal not these providences always in a subserviency to the Covenant of Grace, yet there is always mercy in them, always a call in them to consider the Author of them. Had not God thus dealt with you, it may be this day you ha• been a terror to your selves, a shame to your relations, and under the punishment due to some notorious sins which you had conceived. Besides, there is commonly an additional guilt in sin brought forth, above what is in the mere conception of it. It may be others would have been ruined by it here, or drawn into a partnership in sin by it, and so have been eternally ruined by it, all which are prevented by these providences, and Eternity will witness, tha• there is a singularity of mercy in them. Do not look then on any such things as common accidents, the hand of God is in them all; and that a merciful hand if not despised: if it be, yet God doth good to others by it, ⟨p. 204⟩the World is the better, and you are not so wicked as you would be.

Fifthly, Those who have received benefit by any of the waies mentioned, may know to whom they owe their preservation, and not look on it as a common thing. When you have conceived sin, hath God weakened your power for sin, or denied you opportunity, or took away the object of your lusts, or diverted your thoughts by new Providences, know assuredly that you have received mercy thereby. Though God deal not these providences alwaies in a subserviency to the Covenant of Grace, yet there is always mercy in them, always a call in them to consider the Author of them. Had not God thus dealt with you, it may be this day you ha• been a terrour to your selves, a shame to your relations, and under the punishment due to some notorious sins which you had conceived. Besides, there is commonly an additional guilt in sin brought forth, above what is in the meer conception of it. It may be others would have been ruined by it here, or drawn into a partnership in sin by it, and so have been eternally ruined by it, all which are prevented by these providences, and Eternity will witness, tha there is a singularity of mercy in them. Do not look then on any such things as common accidents, the hand of God is in them all; and that a merciful hand if not despised: if it be, yet God doth good to others by it,