4. Carry about a constant humbling sense of this close aversation unto spiritualness that yet lies in our nature. If men find the efficacy of it, what should, what consideration
42 THE NATURE AND POWER
can, be more powerful to bring them unto humble walking M'ith God. That after all the discoveries that God hath made of himself unto them, all the kindness they have re- ceived from him, his doing of them good and not evil in all things, there should yet be such a heart of unkindness and unbelief still abiding, as to have an aversation lying in it to communion with him. How ought thethoughts of it to cast us into the dust, to fill us with shame and self-abhorrency all our days ? What have we found in God in any of our approaches or addresses unto him, that it should be thus with us ? What iniquity have we found in him ? Hath he been a wilderness unto us, or aland of darkness? Did we ever lose any thing by drawing nigh unto him ? Nay, Ijath not therein lain all the rest and peace which we have obtained ? Is not he the fountain and spring of all our mercies, of all our desirable things ? Hath he not bid us welcome at our coming ? Have we not received from him more than heart can conceive or tongue express? What ails then our foolish and wretched hearts, to harbour such a cursed secret dislike of him and his w^ays ? Let us be ashamed and astonished at the considera- tion of it, and walk in an humbling sense of it allour days. Let us carry it about with us in the most secret of our thoughts. And as this is a duty in itself acceptable unto God, who delights to dwell with them that are of an humble and contrite spirit, so it is of exceeding efficacy to the weakening of the evil we treat of.
5. Labour to possess the mind with the beauty and excellency of spiritual things, that so they may be presented lovely and desirable to the soul, and this cursed aversation of sin will be weakened thereby. It is an innate acknow- ledged principle, that the soul of man will not keep up cheerfully unto the worship of God, unless it have a disco- very of a beauty and comeliness in it. Hence, when men had lost all spiritual sense and favour of the things of God, to supply the want that was in their own souls, they invent- ed outwardly pompous and gorgeous ways of worship, in images, paintings, pictures, and 1 know not what carnal or- naments which they have called the beauties of holiness. Thus much however was discovered therein, that the mind of man must see a beauty, a desirabkiiess in the things of God's worship, or it will not delight in it; aversation will prevail. Let then the soul labour to acquaint itself with the
OF INDWELLING SIN. 43
spiritual beauty of obedience, of communion with God, and of all duties of immediate approach to him, that it may be filled with delight in them. It is not my present work to discover the heads and springs of that beauty and desirable- ness which is in spiritual duties, in their relation to God, the eternal spring of all beauty ; to Christ, the love, desire, and hope of all nations ; to the Spirit, the great beautifier of souls, rendering them by his grace all glorious within, in their suit- ableness to the souls of men, as to their actings towards their last end, in the rectitude and holiness of the rule in at- tendance whereunto they are to be performed ; but I only say at present in general, that to acquaint the soul throughly with these things is an eminent way of weakening the aver- sation spoken of.
CHAP. VI. '
The zvork of this enmity ar/ainst God, hy way of opposition. First, It lusteth. Wherein the lusting of sin consisteth. Its surprising of the soul. Readiness to close ivith temptations. Its figitting and warring. 1. In Rebellion against the law of grace. 2. In assaulting the soul.
How this enmity worketh by way of aversation hath been declared, as also the means that the soul is to use for the preventing of its effects and prevalency. The second way whereby it exerts itself is opposition. Enmity will oppose and contend with that wherewith it is at enmity. It is so in things natural and moral. As light and darkness, heat and cold, so virtue and vice oppose each other. So is it with sin and grace ; saith the apostle, 'These are contrary one to the other;' Gal. v. 17. avTiKHTai aW{]\oig, they are placed and set in mutual opposition, and that continually and con- stantly, as we shall see.
Now there are two ways whereby enemies manage an op- position. First, By force; and secondly, By fraud and de- ceit. So when the Egyptians became enemies to the children of Israel, and managed an enmity against them, Exod. i. 10. Pharaoh saith, * Let us deal wisely,' or rather cunningly and subtilely • with this people;' for so Stephen, with respect to this word, expresscth it. Acts vii. 19. by Karaao^iaafxtvo^, he
44 THE NATURE AND POWER
used * all manner of fraudulent sophistry.' And unto this de- ceit they added force, in their grievous oppressions. This is the way and manner of things where there is a prevailing enmity : and both these are made use of by the law of sin, in its enmity against God, and our souls.