77 / 504
Enemiesof
the
Sts
Perfeveranceconfidered
C
A
I;. I.
55:35.
be
found
to
be
fo
farte
from
a
!fate
of
no danger,and litle
probability
of
Falling;
or
only
under
a
remote Poflibility
of
fo
doing,that it
will appeare
utterly
im-
pofible
for them
to
hold out, and abide
unto the end.Had the
choifeft Saint
of
God,
with
all
the
Grace
that
he
bath received,
but
one
of
the
many
Ene-
mies,
and that
the
weak.elt,ofall
them
which oppofe every Saint
ofGod,even
the
feebleft,
to
dealewithal], feparated
from the Strength
of
thofe Principles
and Supportments,
which Mr
Goodwin
feeketh
to
calf
dbwne, (let
him
lye
under continual) exhortations,to
matchfulneffe,&
dole
walking with
God)
he
may
as
eafily
move Mountaines with
his finger,
or
climbe
to
Heaven by a
Ladder,
as (tand
before
the ftrength
of
that
one enemy.
Adam
in
Paradife
had no
Lufi
within
to
intice him, no
World
under
the
Curie
to
(educe him,
yet at the
firft
affault
of
Sathan,who
then
had no
part
in
him,he
fell
quite
out
of
covenant
with God.
P
fal.
3o,
6,
7.
-
I (hall
give one instance
in
one
of
the
mAny
enemies
,
that
fight againft
the
welfare
ofour
foules,
and
(
ex
hoc
uno)
we may guelfe
at the
refidue
of
its
companions. This
is
indroellingfinne,
whole
power,
and
policy,
ftrength
and
prevalency,
neereneffe And
trecherÿ,
the
Scripture exceedingly fetts out and
the
Saints daily feele;
I
fhall
only poynt
at
fome
particulars.
Firft concerning its
Neereneffe
to
u$,
it
is
indeed in
srï
:
and
that
not
as
à
thing different from
us,
but
it cleaveth
to
all
the
faculties
of
our
foules
;
it
is
an
Enemy
borne
with
us,
bredupgwith us
,
carried
about
in
our
bofomes ; by
pfal. 55,
q1
nature, ourfamiliarfriend, our
guide
-and
councellor,
deare
to
us
as
our
right
Math.
5.29,
eyes
ufefull
as
our right
hand,
our
wifdome,
ftrength,&c.
The
Apoftle
7.
limn,
3o.
I
7:
zo.
calleth
it
the
finne
that
dwelleth
in
us,
it
Nth
in us,
in
the
faculties
of
tam.3'
15°
6:
our
follies its
abode and
fti:atiòn.
It
doth not
pafie:by,
and away,
but there it
.
dwelles,
fo
as
that it
never goes from home,
is
never
out
of
the
way, when we
have
any
thing
to
doe;
whencev,
a
i.
he calls
it,
the evill
that
h
prefect
with
him.
When
we
goe
About
any
thing
that
is
good
or have opportunity for,
or
temptation unto
any
thing
that
is
evill,
it
is
never
abfent;but
is
ready
to
pluck
us
back,
or
to
put
us
on, according as
it
ferves its ends
;
it
is
fuch an
Inmate,
that
we can
never be quit
of
its
company, and
fo
intimate
unto
us ,
that
it
puts
forth
it
feele,
in
every
afting
of
the
mind, will,
or
any
other
faculty
of
the
a
h
5:263.
foule.
Though
men would faine
(hake
it
off,
yet when they
would
doe
good,
oh 17.79
this
evil)
will be
prefect with them.
Then,
Luk.
i
i.
314
2.
Secondly,
Its Vniverfalityand
compaffe.
It
is
not
ftraightned
in
a
cor-
3536
A$.
1;
.
-net
ofthe
foule: 'tis
fpread over
the whole,
all
the
faculties,
affe&ions,
and
2
Cor.6.ì4.
paflions
ofit. That
which
is
a
borne
of
the
fell)
isflefh:
tis all
flefh,
and nothing
E
h
5.8.
but
flefb;
it
is
Darkneffe in
the
2Jnclerfianding,
keeping us
at belt that
we
know ,35.5
but
in
"part,
and
are
{till
dull
and
flora
of
heart
to
believe;
naturally
we are all
4
u.
7.
Darkneffe nothing but Darkneffe, and though the
Lori,
fnne
into
our
mind,
R0
1
2.
t9.
40
give
us
in
(ome
meafure the knowledge
of
his Glory
in the
face
of
7efus
drift,
t
Per
2.9.
yet
we
are
frill
very drake, &
it
is
a
hard work
to
bring
in
a
little Light, upon
Luk.
4.8.
the
foule; efpeciallythis
is.feeu
in
particular
pra&icáll
things;
though
in
Ge-
neraIi,
we have
very cleare light and evi&ion,vet when
we
come
to
parties!-
Math.s3.
t6:
lar
A
&s
of
obedience. How often
doth our
light grow dimple and
failes
us,
oh
Ì4S'6.
carding us
to
judge
amiffe
of
that
which
is
before
us,
by the
riling
of
that
na-
car.
4.6.
turall
darkneffe, which
is
in
us?
It
is
perverfeneffe
,
ftubbornneffe,
obftinacy
-in
the will,
that
carries
it
with
violence,
to
difobedience and
finne.
It
is en-
Luk.q.fs.
fuality
upon the
Affections,
bending them
to
the
things
of
the
World
,
aliena-
Rom 64,6.
ting them
from
God; It
is
flipperineffe in
the
memory,
making
us like leaking
Rom.
7.18.
veffells,
that
the
filings
that
we
heare
of
the
Gofpell
,
doe fuddainly
flip out,
ieBrem.ó,
t6.
when
as
other things abide
firmein the
Cells
and Chambers thereof.
It
is
Gen:
6.5.
fenfelefnefl'e
and
errour
in
the
Confcience,
flaying it
off fromthe
erformance
rerem''3'
3
F
Heb.2.i
D
3
of
2i
4.
35i