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

Thirdly, Indwelling-sin takes advantage to put forth its efficacy and deceit, to with-draw men from their primitive zeal and holiness, from their first faith, love, and works by the evil examples of Professors amongst whom they live. When men first engage into the ways of God, they have a reverent esteem of those whom they believe to have been made partakers of that mercy before themselves; these they love and honour, as it is their duty. But after a while they find many of them walking in many things unevenly, crookedly, & not unlike the men of the world. Here sin is not wanting to its advantage. Insensibly it prevails with men to a compliance with them. This way, this course of walking, doth well enough with others, why may it not do so with us also? Such is the ⟨p. 254⟩inward thought of many, that works effectually in them. And so through the craft of sin, the generation of Professors corrupt one another. As a stream arising from a clear spring or fountain, whilst it runs in its own peculiar channel, and keeps its water unmixed, preserves its purity and cleanness, but when it falls in its course with other streams that are turbid and foul, though running the same way with it, it becomes muddy and discoloured also. So is it in this case. Believers come forth from the spring of the New birth with some purity and cleanness, this for a while they keep in the course of their private walking with God; but now when they come sometimes to fall into society with others, whose profession flows & runs the same way with theirs, even towards heaven, but yet are mudded and sullied with sin and the world, they are often corrupted with them, and by them, and so decline from their first purity, faith, and holiness. Now lest this may have been the case of any who shall read this discourse, I shall add some few cautions that are necessary to preserve men from this infection.

First, In the body of Professors there is a great number of hypocrites. Though we cannot say of this or that man, that he is so, yet that some there are, is most certain. Our Saviour hath told us that it will be so to the end of the world. All that have Oil in their Lamps, have it not in their vessels. Let men take heed how they give themselves up unto a conformity to the Professors they meet withal, lest instead of Saints and the best of men, they sometimes propose for their example hypocrites,