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

which is so far from weakening Indwelling-sin, that ⟨p. 295⟩it strengthens it in the root and Principle, that it may hereafter reign in the Soul in security. Or at the most, the best success that can be imagined unto this way of dealing with sin, is but the restraining of some outward eruptions of it, which tends nothing to the weakening of its power; and therefore such persons by all their endeavours are very far from being freed from the inward toiling, burning, disquieting, perplexing power of sin. And this is the state of most Men that are kept in bondage under the power of conviction; Hell, Death, and the Wrath of God are continually presented unto their Consciences; this makes them labour with all their strength against that in sin which most enrageth their Consciences, and most increaseth their fears; that is the actual eruption of it; for, for the most part while they are freed from that, they are safe; though in the mean time, sin lye tumultuating in and defiling of the heart continually. As with running fores, outward repelling medicines may skin them over, and hinder their corruption from coming forth; but the issue of them is, that they cause them to fester inwardly, and so prove, though it may be not so noisome and offensive as they were before, yet far more dangero•• So is it with this repelling of the power of co•••ption by Mens Vows, and promises against it; external eruptions are it may be restrained for a season; but the inward root and principle is not weakened in the least. And most commonly this is the issue of this way; that sin having gotten more strength, and being enraged by its restraint, breaks all its bounds, and captivates the Soul unto all filthy abominations; which is the Principle as was before observed ⟨p. 296⟩of most of the visible Apostasies which we have in the World, 2 Pet. 2. 19, 20.

which is so far from weakning Indwelling-sin, that ⟨p. 295⟩it strengthens it in the root and Principle, that it may hereafter reign in the Soul in security. Or at the most, the best success that can be imagined unto this way of dealing with sin, is but the restraining of some outward eruptions of it, which tends nothing to the weakning of its power; and therefore such persons by all their endeavours are very far from being freed from the inward toyling, burning, disquieting, perplexing power of sin. And this is the state of most Men that are kept in bondage under the power of conviction; Hell, Death, and the Wrath of God are continually presented unto their Consciences; this makes them labour with all their strength against that in sin which most enrageth their Consciences, and most increaseth their fears; that is the actual eruption of it; for, for the most part while they are freed from that, they are fafe; though in the mean time, sin lye tumultuating in and defiling of the heart continually. As with running fores, outward repelling medicines may skin them over, and hinder their corruption from coming forth; but the issue of them is, that they cause them to fester inwardly, and so prove, though it may be not so noysome and offensive as they were before, yet far more dangero So is it with this repelling of the power of coption by Mens Vows, and promises against it; external eruptions are it may be restrained for a season; but the inward root and principle is not weakned in the least. And most commonly this is the issue of this way; that sin having gotten more strength, and being enraged by its restraint, breaks all its bounds, and captivates the Soul unto all filthy abominations; which is the Principle as was before observed