f INDW ELLING SIN. +81 are not effedual for their delivery; but he will not give over ; he is in the purfuit of a deignof love towards them, and fo ceafeth not until they are recovered. Thefe are the general heads of the fecondway whereby God hinders the bringing forth ofconceived fin, namely, by working on the will of the (inner. He Both it either by common conviftions, or fpecial grace ; fo that of their own accord they fhall let go the purpofe and will of fin- ning that they are rifen upunto. And this is no meanway of his providing for his own glory, and the honour of his gofpel in the world, whofe pro- feffors would flan the whole beautyof it, were they left to themfelves to bring forth all the evil that is conceived in their hearts. (3. Beides thefe general ways, there is one yet more fpecial, that at once worketh both upon the power and will of the inner; and this is the way of atIlietions, concerning which one word hall clofe this difcourfe. Afffiliions, I fay, work by both theft ways, in reference unto conceived tin. They work providentially upon the power of the creature. When a Man bath conceived a fin, and is in full purpofe of the purfuit of it, God oftentimes fends a ficknefs, and abates-his ftrength, or a lofs cuts hiss fort in his plenty, and fo takes him off from the purfuit of his lofts, though it may, be his heart is not weaned from them. His power is weakned, and he cannot do the evil he would. In this fenfe it belongs to the firft way of God's obviating the produdion offin. Great affldions work fometimes not from their own nature immediately and diredly, but . from the gracious purpofe and intendment of him that fends them. He infinuates into the difpenfation of them, that of grace and power, of love and kindnefs, which £hall effectually take off the heart and mind from fin, Pfa. cxix. 67. Before lavar a$Iitted I went afray, but now have I learned thy commandments. And in this way, becaufe ofthe predominancy of re= hewing and affifting grace; they belong unto the latter means of prevent- ing fin. And theft are fome of the ways, whereby it pleafeth God to pufa flop to the progtefs of fin, both in believers and unbelievers, which at prefent we hall inftante in ; and if we would endeavour farther to fearch out his ways unto perfedion, yet we muff Rill conclude that it is hut a little por- tion which we know of him. * --titt 1r17 rti3r 'te*. *v.- *ñry rsfi r w."4, *rya CHAP. XIV. The power offin farther demonirated by the offec.r it bath had in the lives of profeffors. Firfl, lit actual fins. Secondly, In habitual declenfons., E arenow toproceed unto other evidences of that fad truth which we are in the demonftrationof. But the main ofout work being paft through, I (hall be more brief in the mis- management of the arguments that do remain: That then which in the next place may be fixed upon, is the demonftrationwhichthis law of fin bath id all ages given of its power and efficacy, by thewoful fruits that it bath brougl t forth, even in believers theinfelves. Ffffff Novi
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