f INDWELLING,SIN. 437 for, yea, they utterly defpife thefe things which their affedions were fet upon with delight and greedinefs an their childhood. But if they are things that by any means come to be fixed in their minds and judg- ments, they continue a high efteern for them, and do cleave as clofe unto them, as they did when their affedions were more vigorous. Only as it were they have changed their feat in the foul. It is thus in things fpiritu- al 4 the tuft and chiefeft fear, a bhe fenfiblenefs of fin, is in the affedi- nos i as thefe in natural youth, are great and large, fo are they fpiritu- ally in fpiritual youth, Jet. ii. 2. I remember the kindnefs of thyyouth, the love of thine efpoufrls. Betides fuch perfons are newly come off from their convi&ions, wherein they have been cut to the heart, and fo made tender. Whatever touches upon a wound is throughly felt. So doth the guilt of fin before the wound given by convictionbe throughly cured. But now when affedions begin to decay naturally, they begin to decay alfo as to their fenfible adings and motions in things fpirtual. Al- though they improve in grace, yet they may decay in fenfe. At leaf} fpiritual fenfe is not radically in them, but only by way of communicati- on. Now in thefe decays, if the foul take not care to fix a deep fenfe of fin on the mind and judgment,thereby perpetually to affect the heart and affedions, it will decay. And here the deceit of the law of fin in- terpofeth itfelf. It fuffers a fenfe of fin to decay in the affedions, and diverts the mind from entertaining a due, confiant, fixed confideration of it. Wemay confider this a little in perfons that never make a progrefs in the ways of God beyond conviction. How fenfible of fin will they be for a feafon ? How will they then mourn and weep under a fenfe of the guilt of it ? How will they cordially and heartily refolve againft it ? Affections are vigorous, and as it were bear rule in their fouls. But they are like an herb that will flourifh fora day or two with watering, although it have no root. For, a while after we fee, that thefe men the more ex- perience they have liad of fin, the lefs they are afraid of it, as the wife man intimates, Ecclef. viii. H. And at length they come to be the great- eft contemners of fin in the world. No firmer like him that Batt finned away his convidions of fin. What is the reafoat of this ? Stufe of fin was in their convidions fixed on their affedions g as it decayed in them they took no care to have it deeply and gracioufly fixed on their minds. This the deceitfulnefs of fin deprived them of, and fo ruined their fouls. In fome meafure it is fo withbelievers. If as the fenfiblenefs of the affedions decay, if as theygrow heavy and obtufe, great wifdom and grace be not ufed to fix a due fenfe of fin upon the mind and judgment, which may provoke, excite, enliven and fair up the affedions every day, great decays will infue. At firft, forrow, trouble, grief, fear, affected the mind, and would give it no refs. If afterwards the mind do not cited the heart with forrow andgrief, thewhole will be call out, and the foul be in danger of being hardened. And thefe are fome of the ways where- by the deceit of fin diverts the mind from the firit part of its fafe prefer- lung frame, or draws it off from its confiant watchfulnefsagainft fin and all the effects of it. The fecond parr of this general duty of the mind, is to keep the foul unto a confiant, holy confideration of God and his grace. This evident- ly lies at the fpring head of Gofpel obedience. The way whereby fin draws,off the mind from this part of its duty is open and known fuffici- , endy, though not fufficiently watched againft.. Now this the fcripture every where declares to be the filling of the minds of men with earthly things. This it placeth in dire& oppofition unto that heavenly frame of S ffff the
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