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CHAPTER V.

Nature of Sin farther discovered, as it is Enmity against God. Its Aversion to all Good opened. Means to prevent the effects of it prescribed.

WE have considered somewhat of the nature of Indwelling Sin, not absolutely, but in reference to the discovery of its power. But this more clearly evidenceth itself in its actings and operations. Power is an act of life, and operation is the only discoverer of life. We know not that any thing lives, but by the effects and works of life. And great and strong operations discover a powerful and vigorous life. Such are the operations of this law of sin, which are all demonstrations of its power.

That which we have declared concerning its na ture is, that it consists in enmity. Now there are two general heads of the working or operation of enmity. First, Aversion. Secondly, Opposition.

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First, Aversion. Our Saviour, describing the enmity that was between himself and the teachers of the Jews, by the effects of it, saith in the prophet, My soul loatheth them, and their soul also abhorred me." Where there is mutual enmity, there is mutual aversion, loathing, and abomination. it was between the Jews and the Samaritans; they were enemies, and abhorred one another.

So

Secondly, Opposition, or contending against one another, is the next product of enmity-" He was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against

them;" speaking of God towards the people. Where there is enmity, there will be fighting; it is the proper and natural product of it. Now both these effects are found in this law of sin.

First, For aversion-there is an aversion in it to God, and every thing of God, as we have in part discovered in handling the enmity itself, and so shall not need much to insist upon it again. All indisposition to duty, wherein communion with God is to be obtained, all weariness of duty, all carnality, all formality under duty, it all springs from this root. The wise man cautions us against this evil"When thou goest to the house of God, keep thy foot." Hast thou any spiritual duty to perform, and dost thou design the attaining any communion with God? look to thyself, take care of thy affections, they will be gadding and wandering, and that from their aversion to what thou hast in hand. There is not any good that we would do, wherein we may not find this aversion exercising itself. "When I would do good, evil is present with me;" at any time, at all times, when I would do any thing that is spiritually good, it is present; that is, to hinder me, to obstruct me in my duty, because it abhors and loathes the thing which I have in hand, it will keep me off from it if it be possible. In those in whom it prevails, it comes at length into that frame which is expressed in the prophet Ezekiel: "And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness." It will allow an outward bodily presence to the wor

ship of God, wherein it is not concerned, but it keeps the heart quite away.

It may be some will pretend, they find it not so in themselves, but they have freedom and liberty in all the duties of obedience that they attend to. But I fear this pretended liberty will be found, upon examination, to arise from one or both of these causes: First, ignorance of the true state and condition of their own souls, of their inward man and its actings towards God. They know not how it is with them, and therefore are not to be believed in what they report. They are in the dark, and neither know what they do, nor whither they are going. It is probable the Pharisee knew little of this matter, which made him boast of his duties to God himself. Or, secondly, it may be whatever duties of worship or obedience such persons perform, they may, through want of faith and an interest in Christ, have no communion with God in them. And if so, sin will make but little opposition to them therein. We speak of those whose hearts are exercised with these things: and if, under their complaints of them, and groanings for deliverance from them, others cry out to them, Stand off, we are holier than ye, they are willing to bear the condition, as knowing that their way may be safe, though it be troublesome, and being willing to see their own dangers, that they may avoid the ruin into which others fall.

Let us then a little consider this aversion in such acts of obedience, as wherein there is no concern but that of God and the soul. In public duties there may be a mixture of other considerations: they may be so influenced by custom and necessity, that a

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right judgment cannot, from them, be made of this But let us take into consideration, the duties of retirement, as private prayer, and meditation, and the like; or else extraordinary duties, or duties to be performed in an extraordinary manner.

First, In these will this aversion and loathing oftentimes discover itself in the affections. A secret striving will be in them about close and cordial dealing with God. Unless the hand of God in his Spirit be high and strong upon the soul, even when convictions, sense of duty, dear and real esteem of God, and communion with him, have carried the soul into its closet; yet, if there be not the vigour and power of a spiritual life constantly at work, there will be a secret loathness in them to duty; yea, sometimes there will be a violent inclination to the contrary, so that the soul had rather do any thing, embrace any diversion, though it wound itself thereby, than vigorously apply itself to that, which in the inward man it breathes after. It is weary before it begins, and says, When will the work be over? Here God and the soul are immediately concerned, and it is a great conquest to do what we would, though we come exceedingly short of what we should do.

Secondly, It discovers itself in the mind also. When we address ourselves to God in Christ, we

are, as Job speaks, "to fill our mouths with arguments, that we may be able to plead with him as he calls upon us to do" Put me in remembrance, let us plead together." Whence the church is called upon to take unto itself words, or arguments, in going to God—“ Take with you words, and turn to the

Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips." The sum is, that the mind should be furnished with the considerations that are prevailing with God, and be in readiness, to plead them, and to manage them in the most spiritual manner to the best advantage. Now is there no difficulty to get the mind into such a frame, as to lay out itself to the utmost in this work; to be clear, steady, and constant in its duty; to draw out, and make use of its stores and furniture, of promises and experiences? It starts, wanders, flags, and all from this secret aversion to communion with God, which proceeds from the law of indwelling sin. Some complain that they can make no work of meditation, they cannot bend their minds to it. I confess there may be a great cause of this, in their want of a right understanding of the duty itself, and of the ways of managing the soul in it, which therefore I shall a little speak to afterwards. But yet this secret enmity hath its hand in the loss they are at also, and that both in their minds and in their affections. Others are forced to live in family and public duties, they find such little benefit and success in private. And here hath been the beginning of the apostacy of many professors, and the source of many foolish sensual opinions. Finding this aversion in their minds and affections from closeness and constancy in private spiritual duties, not knowing how to conquer and prevail against these difficulties through him who enables us, they have, at first, been subdued to a neglect of them; first partial, then total; until having lost all conscience of them, they have had a door

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