It is with indwelling sin as with a river. Whilst the springs and fountains of it are open, and waters are continually supplied unto its streams, set a dam before it, and it causeth it to rise and swell until it bear down all or overflow the banks about it. Let these waters be abated, dried up in some good measure in the springs of them, and the remainder may be coerced and restrained. But still, as long as there is any running water, it will constantly press upon what stands before it, according to its weight and strength, because it is its nature so to do ; and if by any means it make a passage, it will proceed. So is it with indwelling sin; whilst the springs and fountains of it are open, in vain is it for men to set a dam before it by their convictions, resolutions, vows, and promises. They may check it for a while, but it will increase, rise high, and rage, at one time or another, until it bears down all those convictions and resolutions, or makes itself an under-ground passage by some secret lust, that shall give a full vent unto it. But now, sujDpose that the springs of it are much dried up by regenerating grace, the streams or actings of it abated by holi- ness, yet whilst any thing remains of it, it will be pressing con- stantly to have vent, to press forward into actual sin ; and this is its lusting.
And this habitual propensity in it is discovered two ways : — (1 .) In its unexpected surprisals of the soul into foolish, sinful figments and imaginations, Avhich it looked not for, nor was any occa- sion administered unto them. It is with indwelling sin as it is with the contrary principle of sanctifying grace. This gives the soul, if I may so say, many a blessed surprisal. It oftentimes ingenerates and brings forth a holy, spiritual frame in the heart and mind, when Ave have had no previous rational considerations to work them thereunto. And this manifests it to be an habitual principle prevailing in the mind: so Cant. vi. 12, "Or ever I was aware, my soid made me as the chariots of Ammi-nadib ; " that is, free, willing, and ready for com- munion with Christ. ""^VT^ ^^; — "I knew not; it was done by tlie power of the Spirit of grace; so that I took no notice of it, as it were, until it was done." The frequent actings of gi'ace in this manner, exciting acts of faith, love, and complacency in God, are evidences of much strength and prevalency of it in the soul. And thus, also, is it with indwelling sin ; ere the soul is aware, without any provocation or temptation, when it knows not, it is cast into a vain and foolish frame. Sin produceth its figments secretly in the heart, and pre-
192 THE NATURE AND TOWER OF INDWELLING SIN.
vents the mind's consideration of wiiat it is about. I mean hereby those " actus primo primi," first acts of the soul ; which are thus far involuntary, as that tliey have not the actual consent of the will unto them, but are voluntary as far as sin hath its residence in the will. And these surprisals, if the soul be not awake to take speedy care for the prevention of their tendency, do oftentimes set all as it were on fire, and engage the mind and affections into actual sin : for as by grace we are oftentimes, ere we are aware, " made as the chariots of a willing people," and are far engaged in heaveidy-mindedness and com- munion with Christ, making speed in it as in a chariot ; so by sin are we oftentimes, ei-e we are aware, carried into distempered affections, foolish imaginations, and pleasing delightfulness in things that are not good nor profitable. Hence is that caution of the apostle, Gal. vi. 1 , 'Eav '7rpoXyi<p6fi' — "If a man be surprised at unawares with a fault, or in a transgression." I doubt not but the subtlety of Satan and the power of temptation are here taken into consideration by the apostle, which causeth him to express a man's falling into sin by eav '7rfoXri<p(}f\, — " if he be surprised." So this working of indwelling sin also hath its consideration in it, and that in the chiefest place, with- out which nothing else could surprise us ; for without the help thereof, whatever comes from without, from Satan or the world, must admit of some parley in the mind before it be received, but it is from Avithin, from ourselves, that we are surprised. Hereby are we disappointed and wrought over to do that which we would not, and hindered from the doing of that which we would.
Hence it is, that when the soul is oftentimes doing as it were quite another thing, engaged quite ujoon another design, sin starts that in the heart or imaginations of it that carries it away into that which is evil and sinful. Yea, to manifest its power, sometimes, when the soul is seriously engaged in the mortification of any sin, it will, by one means or other, lead it away into a dalliance with that very sin whose ruin it is seeking, and wnose mortification it is engaged in ! But as there is in this operation of the law of sin a special enticing or entangling, we shall speak imto it fully afterward. Now, these surprisals can be from nothing Imt an habitual propensity unto evil in the principle from whence they proceed ; not an habitual inclina- tion unto actual sin in the mind or heart, but an habitual propensitj unto evil in the .sin that is in the mind or heart. This prevents the soul with its figments. How much commimion with God is hereby prevented, how many meditations are disturbed, how much the minds and consciences of men have been defiled by this acting of sin, some may have obsei'ved. I know no greater burden in the life of a be- liever than these involuntary surprisals of soul; involuntary, I say, as to the actual consent of the will, but not so in respect of that cor-