VOL. VII. 34
530 OF THE DOMINION OF SIN AND GRACE.
[2.] A constant attendance unto this duty in a due manner will pre- serve the soul in such a frame as wherein sin cannot habitually prevail in it. He that can live in sin and abide in the ordinary duties of prayer doth never once pray as he ought. Formality, or some secret reserve or other, vitiates the whole, A truly gracious, praying frame (wherein we pray always) is utterly inconsistent with the love of or reserve for any sin. To pray well is to pray always,—that is, to keep the heart always in that frame which is required in prayer; and where this is, sin can have no rule, no, nor quiet harbour, in the soul.
[3.] It is the soul’s immediate conflict against the power of sin. Sin in it is formally considered as the soul’s enemy, which fights against it. In prayer the soul sets itself to grapple with it, to wound, kill, and destroy. It is that whereby it applies all its spiritual engines unto its utter ruin; herein it exerciseth a gracious abhorrency of it, a clear self-condemnation on the account of it; and engageth faith on all the promises of God for its conquest and destruction.
It is hence evident that if sin hath prevailed in the mind unto a negligence of this duty, either in general or as unto the effectual application of it unto any especial case where it exerts its power, it is an ill symptom of the dominion of sin in the soul.
It is certain that unmortified sin, sin indulged unto, will gradu- ally work out all due regard unto this duty of prayer, and alienate the mind from it, either as unto the matter or manner of its perfor- mance. We see this exemplified every day in apostate professors. They have had a gift of prayer, and were constant in the exercise of it; but the love of sin and living in it hath devoured their gift, and wholly taken off their minds from the duty itself: which is the proper character of hypocrites. “Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?” Job xxvii.10. He may do so for a season, but, falling under the power ot sin, he will not continue so to do.
Now, because sin useth great deceit herein, in a gradual progress for attaining its end, and thereby securing its dominion, we may, in a way of warning or caution, take notice of some of its steps, that the entrance of it may be opposed: for as the “entrance of God’s word giveth light,” Ps. cxix. 180,—the first putting forth of its power on the soul gives spiritual light unto the mind, which is to be improved,—so the entrance of sin, the first actings of it on the mind, towards the neglect of this duty, brings a deceiving darkness with them, which is to be opposed :—
Ist. It will produce in the mind an wnreadiness wnto this duty in its proper seasons. The heart should always rejoice in the approach of such s»asons, because of the delight in God which it hath in them. To rejoice and be glad in all our approaches unto God is
EVIDENCE OF THE DOMINION OF SIN. 531
every way required of us; and therefore, with the thoughts of and on the approach of such seasons, we ought to groan in ourselves for such a preparedness of mind as may ‘render us meet for that con- verse with God which we are called unto. But where sin begins to prevail, all things will be unready and out of order. Strange tergi- versations will rise in the mind, either as unto the duty itself or as unto the manner of its performance. Customariness and formality are the principles which act themselves in this case. The body seems to carry the mind to the duty whether it will or no, rather than the mind to lead the body in its part of it; and it will employ itself in any thing rather than in the work and duty that lies be- fore it.
Herein, then, lies a great part of our wisdom in obviating the power of sin in us: Let us keep our hearts continually in a gracious disposition and readiness for this duty, in all its proper seasons. If you lose this ground, you will yet go more backwards continually. Know, therefore, that there is no more effectual preservative of the soul from the power of sin than a gracious readiness for and dis- position unto this duty in private and public, according to its proper seasons.
2dly. In its progress, unto unreadiness it will add wnwillingness ; for the mind prepossessed by sin finds it directly contrary unto its present interest, disposition, and inclination. There is nothing in it but what troubles and disquiets them; as he said of the prophet who was not willing to hear him any more, it speaks not good but evil of them continually. Hence a secret unwillingness prevails in the mind, and an aversation from a serious engagement in it; ahd the attendance of such persons to it is as if they were under a force, in a compliance with custom and convictions.
3dly. Sin will at length prevail unto a total neglect of this duty. This is an observation confirmed by long experience: If prayer do not constantly endeavour the ruin of sin, sin will ruin prayer, and utterly alienate the soul from it. This is the way of backsliders in heart; as they grow in sin they decay in prayer, until they are weary of it and utterly relinquish it. So they speak, Mal. i. 13, “Behold, what @ weariness is it!” and, “ Ye have snuffed at it.” They look on it as a task, as a burden, and are weary in attending unto it.