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

And hence do many poor Creatures spend their days in dismal tiring Superstitions, without any great reluctancy from within, when others cannot be suffered freely to watch with Christ in a spiritual manner one hour. And it is no wonder that men fight with carnal weapons for their Superstitious Worship without, when they have no fighting against it within. For God is not in it; and the Law of Sin makes not opposition to any duty, but to God in every duty. This is our state and condition, all the opposition that ariseth in us unto any thing that is spiritually good, whether it be from darkness in the mind, or aversation in the will, or sloth in the Affections, all the secret arguings and reasonings that are in the soul in pursuit of them, the direct object of them is God himself. The enmity lies against him, which consideration surely should influence us to a perpetual constant watchfulness over our selves.

And hence do many poor Creatures spend their dayes in dismal tiring Superstitions, without any great reluctancy from within, when others cannot be suffered freely to watch with Christ in a spiritual manner one hour. And it is no wonder that men fight with carnal weapons for their Superstitious Worship without, when they have no fighting against it within. For God is not in it; and the Law of Sin makes not opposition to any duty, but to God in every duty. This is our state and condition, all the opposition that ariseth in us unto any thing that is spiritually good, whether it be from darkness in the mind, or aversation in the will, or sloth in the Affections, all the secret arguings and reasonings that are in the soul in pursuit of them, the direct object of them is God himself. The enmity lyes against him, which consideration surely should influence us to a perpetual constant watchfulness over our selves.

It is thus also in respect of all propensity unto sin, as well as aversation from God. It is God himself that is aimed at. It is true, the pleasures, the wages of sin do greatly influence the sensual carnal affections of men; but it is the Holiness and Authority of God, that sin it self rises up against: It hates the yoke of the Lord; Thou hast been weary of me, saith God to sinners, and that during their performance of abundance of duties. Every act of sin is a fruit of being weary of God. Thus Job tells us, what lies at the bottom in the heart of sinners; they say to the Lord, depart from us; it is enmity against him and aversation from him. Here lies the formal nature of every sin, it is an opposition to God, a casting off his yoke, a breaking off the dependence which the Creature ought to have on the Creator. And the Apostle,