INDWELLING SIN. 44,t. will quickly find the effeá of it. By this means are they difenabled from any due confideration of what at prefent is good for them, or evil unto them, without which, to what ufe can prayer ferve, but to mock God, and delude mens own fouls. But in this kind of prayer which we infift on the fpirit of God falls in to give us his aüiftance, and that in this very matter of finding out and difcovering the molt fecret aftingts and workings' ofthe law offin. Rom. viii. 26, gTe know not whit to prayfor as we ought, but be helps our infirmities; he difcovers our wantsunto us,and wherein cheif- iy ive ftand in need of help and relief. And we find it bydaily experience, that in prayer, believers are led into fuch difcoveries, and convifttons of thefe cret deceitful workof fin intheir hearts, as noconfideration could ever have led them into. So David, Pfal. li. defigningthe confeffion ofhis ac'tual fin, having his wound in his prayer fearched by the fkilful hand ofthe fpirit of God, lie had a difcovery made unto himof the rootof all his mifcarriages in his original corruption, ver. V. The fpirit in this duty is as the candle of the Lord unto the foul, enabling it to fearch all the inward parts of. the belly. It gives a holy fpiritupl light into the mind, enabling it to fearch the deep and dark receffes of the heart, to find out the fubtil and deceitful machinations, figments and imaginations ofthe law offin therein: What ever notion there be of it, what ever power and prevalency in it, it is laid hand on, apprehended, brought into the prefence of God, judg-. ed, condemned, bewailed. And what can pofible be more effectual for its ruin and deftruftion ? For together with its difcovery, application is made unto all that relief which in Jefus Chrift is provided againft it, all ways andmeans whereby it may be ruined. Hence it is the duty of the mind, to watch unto prayer t Pet. iv..7. To attend diligently unto the eftate of our fouls, and to deal fervently and effectually with God about it. The like alfo may be faid of meditation, wifely managedunto its proper end. 2.) In this duty there is wrought upon the heart a deep, full fenfe of the vilenefs of fin, with a confiant renewed deteftation of it, which, ifany thing, undoubtedly tends to its ruin. This is one defign of prayer, one end of the foul in it, namely to draw forth fin, to fet it in order, to pre- fent it unto itfelf in its vilenefs, abomination and aggravating circumftan- ces, that it may be loathed, abhorred, and calf away as a filthy thing q as Ifa. xxx. 22. He that pleads with God for fin's remiffion, pleads alfo with his own heart for its deteftation, Hof. xiv. 3. Herein alto fin is judged in the name of God i for the foul in its confellion fubfcribes unto God's deteftation of it, and the fentence of 14 law againft it. There is indeed a courfe ofthefe duties, which convince perfons do give up themfelves un- to, as a mere covert to their tufts; they cannot fin quietly, unlefs they per- form duty conftantly. But that prayer we fpeakof is a thing of another nature, a thing that will allow no compofition with fin, much lets will ferve the ends of the deceit of it, as the other formal prayer loth. It will not be bribed into a fecret compliance withany ofthe enemies of God, or , the foul, nonot for a moment. And hence it is that oftentimes in this du- ty, theheart is railed to the molt fincere effeftual fenfeoffin, and deteftation of it, that the foul ever obtains in itswhole courfe of obedience. And this evidently tends alto to the weakning and ruin of the law of fin: 3.) This is the way appointed and bleffed of God to obtain ftrengrh and power againft fin, yam. i. g. Dotha any man lack, let him afk of God. Prayer is the way of obtaining from God, by Chrift a fupply of all our wants, affiftance againft alloppoftion, efpecially that which is made againft us by fin. This, I fuppofe, need not be infifted on i it is in the no- tion and praftice clear to every believer: It is that wherein we call, Ttttt and
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