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

Thirdly, It being an indwelling-Law, it applies it self to its work with great facility and easiness, like the sin that doth so easily beset us, Heb. 12. 1. It •ath a great facility and easiness in the application of ⟨p. 20⟩it self unto its work; it needs no doors to be opened unto it, it needs no Engines to work by. The soul cannot apply it self to any duty of a man, but it must be by the exercise of those faculties wherein this Law hath its residence. Is the Understanding or the Mind to be applied unto any thing? there it is in ignorance, darkness, vanity, folly, madness. Is the Will to be engaged, there it is also in spiritual deadness, stubbornness, and the roots of obstinacy? Is the heart and Affections to be set on work, there it is in inclinations to the world, and present things, and sensuality, with proneness to all manner of defilements? Hence it is easy for it to insinuate it self into all that we do, and to hinder all that is good, and to further all sin and wickedness. It hath an intimacy, an inwardness with the soul, and therefore in all that we do, doth easily beset us. It possesseth those very faculties of the soul, whereby we must do, what we do, what ever it be, good or evil. Now all these advantages it hath as it is a Law, as an Indwelling-Law which manifests its power and efficacy. It is always resident in the soul, it puts its self upon all its actings, and that with easiness and facility.

Thirdly, It being an indwelling-Law, it applyes it self to its work with great facility and easiness, like the sin that doth so easily beset us, Heb. 12. 1. It •ath a great facility and easiness in the application of ⟨p. 20⟩it self unto its work; it needs no doors to be opened unto it, it needs no Engines to work by. The soul cannot apply it self to any duty of a man, but it must be by the exercise of those faculties wherein this Law hath its residence. Is the Understanding or the Mind to be applyed unto any thing? there it is in ignorance, darkness, vanity, folly, madness. Is the Will to be engaged, there it is also in spiritual deadness, stubborness, and the roots of obstinacy? Is the heart and Affections to be set on work, there it is in inclinations to the world, and present things, and sensuality, with proneness to all manner of defilements? Hence it is easie for it to insinuate it self into all that we do, and to hinder all that is good, and to further all sin and wickedness. It hath an intimacy, an inwardness with the soul, and therefore in all that we do, doth easily beset us. It possesseth those very faculties of the soul, whereby we must do, what we do, what ever it be, good or evil. Now all these advantages it hath as it is a Law, as an Indwelling-Law which manifests its power and efficacy. It is alwayes resident in the soul, it puts its self upon all its actings, and that with easiness and facility.