491- TheNATUitE andPow ER. mon unto him; and he even baths the manna that he is fo accuftomed unto. 2. Indwelling fin doth this, by taking men off from their watch againft the returns of fatan. When our Lord Chrift comes firfl to take polfelfion of any foul for himfelf, he binds that ftrong man, and fpoils his goods ; he deprives him of all his power, dominion and intereft. Satan being thus difpoffeft, and fruftrated in his hopes and expe&ations, leaves the foul, as finding it newly mortified to his baits. So he left our Saviour upon lais firfl fruitlefs attempts : but it is faid, he left him only for a feafon, Luke iv. 13. He intended to return again, as lie bould fee his advantage. So is it with believers alfo ; being call out from his intereft in them, he leaves them for a feafon, at leaft, comparatively he doth fo. Freed from his affaults and perplexing temptations, they proceedvigoroufly in the courfe oftheir obedience, and fo flourilh in the ways of God. But this Bolds not, fatan returns again, and if the foulfluids not continuallyupon his guard againft him, he will quickly get fuch advantages, as will put a notable in- terruption upon his fruitfulnefs and obedience. Hence fonce, after they have fpent force time, it may foine years, in chearful, exemplary walk- ing with God, have upon fatan's return, confirmed all their latter days in wreflling with perplexing temptations, wherewith he hath intangled them. Others have plainly fallen under the power of his affaults: it is like a man, who having for a while lived ufefully amongft his neighbours, done good, and communicated according to his ability, diftributing to the poor, and helping all round about him, at length falling into the hands of vexatious, wrangling, oppreffive men, he is forced to fpend his whole time and reve- nue indefending himfelf againft them at law, and fo becomes ufelefs in the place where he lives. So it is withmany 'a believer, after he loath walked in a fruitful courfe of obedience to the glory of God, and edification of the church of Chrift, being afrefh fet upon by the return of fatan in one way or other, he hath enough to do all the remainder of his life to keep himfelf alive; in the mean time as to manygraces, wofully decaying and going backward. Now this alto, rho' fatan loath an hand in it, is from indwelling fin : I mean, the fuccefs is fo, which fatan dada obtain in his undertaking. This encourágetla him, maketla way for lais return, and gives entrance to lais temptations. You know flow it is with their, out of whom he is cal only by gofpel conviftion; after he bath wandered and waiteda while, he faith, he will return to his houfe from whence be was eje8ed. And what is the iffue? Carnal lofts have prevailed over the man's conviftions, and made his foul fit to entertain returning devils: It is fo as to the meafure of prevalency, that fatan obtains againft believers, upon advantages adminiftred unta him, by fin's difpofing the foul unto an obnoxioufnefs to his temptations. Now the way and means whereby in- dwelling fin doth give advantage to fatan for his return, are all thofe which difpofe them towards a declenfiop which ball afterwards be mentioned. Satan is a diligent, watchful, and crafty adverfary, he will negleet no op- portunity, no advantage that is offered unto him. Wherein then foever our fpiritual ftrength is impaired by fin, or which way foever our lulls prefs, fatan falls in with that weaknefs, and preffeth towards that ruin : fo that all the aftings of the law of fin are fubfervient to this end of fatan. I ball therefore only at prefent mention one or two, that feean princi- pally to invite fatan to attempt a return. (a.) It intangleth the foul in the things of the world, all which are fo many purveyors for faran. When Pharaoh had let the people go, he heard after a while that they were intangled in the wilderrefs, and fuppofcth
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