400 "The, NATURE and POWER or elfe it was a ccurfe ofneglea in private duties, arifing from a wearinefs of contending againf that powerful averfation which they found in themfelves unto them. And this alfo through the craft of Satan bath been improved into many foolifli and fenfual opinions, of living unto God without, and above any duties of communion. And we find, that after men have for awile choaked and blinded their confciences with this pre- tence, turfed wickednefs or fenfuality bath been the end of their folly. And the reafonof all this is, that the giving way to the lab' of fin in the leaf}, is the giving ftrength unto it e To let it a lone is to let it grow, not to conquer it, is to be conquered by it. As it is in refpe& of private, fo it is alfa in repe£t of publick duties, that have any thing extraodinary in them. What Driving, flruglings, and pleadings are there in the heart about them, efpecially againft the fpirituality of them! Yea, in and under them, will not the mind and affe&ions fometimes be entangled with things uncouth, new and ftrange unto them, fuck as at the time of the leap ferious bufinefs, a man would not deign to take into his thoughts? But if the leaf loofe, liberty, or advantage be given unto indwelling fin, if it be not perpetually watched over, it will work to a Drange and an unexpe&ed iffse. In brief, let the foul uncloatlt any duty what ever, private or publick, any tilingthat is called good, let a man divert it of all outward refpe&s which fecretly infinuate theinfelves into the mind, and give it force complacency in what it is about, but do not render it acceptable unto God, and he Gall affu- redly find fomewhat of the power, and faine of"tile effe&s of this aver- Cation. It begins in loathnefs and indifpofition, goes on with intangling the mind and affections with other things, and will end, if not preven- ted, in wearinefs of God, which he complains of in his people, Ifa. xliii. 22. They ceafed fromduty becaufe theywere wearyof God. But this infante being of great importance unto profeffors in their walking with God, we nmf not pafs it over without force intimations of dire&ions for them in their contending againi it, and oppofition to it. Only this muff be premifed, that I am not giving dire&ions for the mortifying of indwelling fin in general, which is to be dotie,alone by.the fpirit of Chrift, by virtue of our union with him, Rom. viii. 13. but only of our particular duty, with reference unto this efpeciál evil or effeit of in- dwelling fin that we have a little inured on, or what in this fingle cafe the wifdom of faithGems to dire& unto; and call for; which: will be our way and courte in our procefs upon the confiderationof the othereffeç`ls of it. [t.1 The great means to prevent the fruits and effe&s of this averfa- tion, is the confant keeping of the foul in anuniverfally holy frame. As this weakens the whole law of fin, fo anfwerably all its properties? and particularly this averfation. It is this frame only that will enable us to fay with the Pfalmif, Pfal. lvii 7. My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed. It is utterly impoffible to keep the heart in a prevailing holy frame in any one duty, lunlefs it be fo in and unto all and every One. If fin entanglements get hold in any one thing, they will put them- felves upon the foul every thing. A confiant even frame and temper in all duties, in all ways, is the only prefervative for any one way. Let not him who is negleive in publick perfuade himfelf, that all will he clear and eafy in private, or on the contrary. There is an harmony in obedience, break but one part and you interrupt the whole. Our wounds in particular arife generally from negligence as to the whole courir. So David informs us, Pfal. cxix. 6. Then ]hall I not be afhamed, when I have a refpea unto all thy commandment. An univerfal refped to all God's commandments, is the only prefervative from Game. And nothing
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