4. Perhaps no sin of omission more frequently occasions this, than the neglect of private prayer; the want whereof cannot be supplied by any other ordinance whatever. Nothing can be more plain, than that the life of God in the soul does not continue, much less increase, unless we use all opportunities of communing with God, and pouring out our hearts before him. If therefore we are negligent of this, if we suffer business, company, or any avocation whatever, to prevent these secret exercises of the soul, (or which comes to the same thing, to make us hurry them over in a slight and careless manner) that life will surely decay. And if we long or frequently intermit them, it will gradually die away.
5. Another sin of omission which frequently brings the soul of a believer into darkness, is the neglect of what was so strongly enjoined, even under the Jewish dispensation, _Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him: Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart_. Now if we do _hate our brother in our heart_, if we do not _rebuke_ him when we see him in a fault, but _suffer sin upon him_: this will soon bring leanness into our own soul: seeing hereby we are _partakers of_ his _sin_. By neglecting to reprove our neighbour, we make his sin our own. We become accountable for it to God: we saw his danger, and gave him no warning. So, _if he perish in his iniquity_, God may justly _require his blood at_ our _hands_. No wonder then if by thus grieving the Spirit, we lose the light of his countenance.
6. A third cause of our losing this, is the giving way to some kind of _inward sin_. For example: we know every one that is _proud in heart is an abomination to the_ Lord: and that, although this pride of heart should not appear in the outward conversation. Now how easily may a soul filled with peace and joy, fall into this snare of the devil? How natural is it for him to imagine, that he has more grace, more wisdom or strength than he really has? To _think more highly of himself than he ought to think_? How natural, to glory in something he has received, as if he had not received it? But seeing God continually _resisteth the proud, and giveth grace_ only _to the humble_, this must certainly obscure, if not wholly destroy the light which before shone on his heart.
7. *The same effect may be produced by giving place to anger, whatever the provocation or occasion be: yea, though it were coloured over with the name of _zeal_ for the truth, or for the glory of God. Indeed all zeal which is any other than the flame of love, is _earthly, animal, devilish_. It is the flame of wrath: It is flat, sinful anger, neither better, nor worse. And nothing is a greater enemy to the mild, gentle love of God than this: they never did, they never can, subsist together in one breast. In the same proportion as this prevails, love and joy in the Holy Ghost decrease. This is particularly observable in the case of _offence_, I mean, anger at any of our brethren, at any of those who are united with us either by civil or religious ties. If we give way to the spirit of offence but one hour, we lose the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit: so that instead of amending them we destroy ourselves, and become an easy prey to any enemy that assaults us.
8. *But suppose we are aware of this snare of the devil, we may be attacked from another quarter. When fierceness and anger are asleep, and love alone is waking, we may be no less endangered by _desire_, which equally tends to darken the soul. This is the sure effect of any _foolish desire_, any vain or inordinate affection. If we _set our affection on things of the earth_, on any person or thing under the sun, if we desire any thing but God and what tends to God, if we seek happiness in any creature, the jealous God will surely contend with us: for he can admit of no rival. And _if_ we _will_ not _hear_ his warning _voice_, and return to him with our whole soul; if we continue to grieve him with our idols, and running after other gods, we shall soon be cold, barren and dry, and _the god of this world_ will _blind_ and darken _our hearts_.
9. But this he frequently does, even when we do not give way to any positive sin. It is enough, it gives him sufficient advantage, if we do not _stir up the gift of_ God _which is in us_: if we do not _agonize_ continually _to enter in at the strait gate_: if we do not earnestly _strive for the mastery_, and _take the kingdom of heaven by violence_. There needs no more than not to fight, and we are sure to be conquered. Let us only be careless or _faint in our mind_, let us be easy and indolent, and our natural darkness will soon return, and overspread our soul. It is enough therefore, if we give way to _spiritual sloth_: this will effectually darken the soul. It will as surely destroy the light of God, if not so swiftly, as murder or adultery.