A53712:419
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.
Now all these declensions, all these decays that are found in some Professors, they all proceed from this root and cause, they are all the product of Indwelling sin, and all evince the exceeding power and efficacy of it. For the proof whereof I shall not need to go farther than the general rule which out of James we have already considered; namely that lust or indwelling sin, is the cause of all actual sin, and all habitual declensions in Believers. This is that which the Apostle intends in that place to teach and declare. I shall therefore handle these two things, and show, First, That this doth evince a great efficacy and power in sin. Secondly, Declare the ways and means whereby it brings forth or brings about this cursed effect; all in design of our general end, in calling upon and cautioning Believers to avoid it, to oppose it.
Now all these declensions, all these decays that are found in some Professors, they all proceed from this root and cause, they are all the product of Indwelling sin, and all evince the exceeding power and efficacy of it. For the proof whereof I shall not need to go farther than the general rule which out of James we have already considered; namely that lust or indwelling sin, is the cause of all actual sin, and all habitual declensions in Believers. This is that which the Apostle intends in that place to teach and declare. I shall therefore handle these two things, and shew, First, That this doth evince a great efficacy and power in sin. Secondly, Declare the ways and means whereby it brings forth or brings about this cursed effect; all in design of our general end, in calling upon and cautioning Believers to avoid it, to oppose it.
First, It appears to be a work of great power and efficacy, from the provision that is made against it, which it prevails over. There is in the Covenant of grace plentiful provision made, not only for the preventing of declensions and decays in Believers, ⟨p. 231⟩but also for their continual carrying on towards perfection. As,