Chapter 5: The Averseness of Sin from Good

Nature of sin farther discovered as it is enmity against God. Its aversation from all good, opened. Means to prevent the effects of it prescribed.

We have considered somewhat of the nature of indwelling sin, not absolutely, but in reference to the discovery of its power. But this more clearly evidences itself in its actings and operations. Power is an act of life, and operation is the only discoverer of life. We know not that any thing lives, but by the effects and works of life. And great and strong operations discover a powerful and vigorous life. Such are the operations of this law of sin, which are all demonstrations of its power.

That which we have declared concerning its nature, is that it consists in enmity. Now there are two general heads of the working or operation of enmity. First, aversation. Secondly, opposition.

First, aversation. Our Savior describing the enmity that was between himself and the teachers of the Jews, by the effects of it, says in the Prophet, My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me (Zechariah 7:8). Where there is mutual enmity, there is mutual aversation, loathing, and abomination. So it was between the Jews and the Samaritans, they were enemies, and abhorred one another (John 4:9).

Secondly, opposition, or contending against one another, is the next product of enmity (Isaiah 63:10). He was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them; speaking of God towards the people. Where there is enmity, there will be fighting, it is the proper and natural product of it. Now both these effects are found in this law of sin.

First, for aversation, there is an aversation in it to God, and every thing of God, as we have in part discovered in handling the enmity itself, and so shall not need much to insist upon it again. All indisposition to duty, wherein communion with God is to be obtained, all weariness of duty, all carnality or formality under duty, it all springs from this root. The wise man cautions us against this evil (Ecclesiastes 5:1). When you go to the house of God, keep your foot. Have you any spiritual duty to perform, and do you design the attaining of any communion with God? Look to yourself, take care of your affections, they will be gadding and wandering, and that from their aversation to what you have in hand. There is not any good that we would do, wherein we may not find this aversation exercising itself. When I would do good, evil is present with me; at any time, at all times, when I would do any thing that is spiritually good, it is present; that is, to hinder me, to obstruct me in my duty, because it abhors and loaths the thing which I have in hand, it will keep me off from it if it be possible. In them in whom it prevails, it comes at length to that frame which is expressed (Ezekiel 33:31). It will allow an outward bodily presence to the worship of God, wherein it is not concerned, but it keeps the heart quite away.

It may be some will pretend, they find it not so in themselves, but they have freedom and liberty in and to all the duties of obedience that they attend to. But I fear, this pretended liberty will be found upon examination to arise from one or both of these causes. First, ignorance of the true state and condition of their own souls, of their inward man and its actings towards God. They know not how it is with them, and therefore are not to be believed in what they report. They are in the dark and neither know what they do, nor where they are going. It is like the Pharisee knew little of this matter, which made him boast of his duties to God himself. Or, secondly, it may be what ever duties of worship or obedience such persons perform, they may through want of faith, and an interest in Christ, have no communion with God in them. And if so, sin will make but little opposition to them therein. We speak of them whose hearts are exercised with these things, and if under their complaints of them, and groanings for deliverance from them, others cry out to them, Stand off, we are holier than you, they are willing to bear their condition, as knowing that their way may be safe, though it be troublesome, and being willing to see their own dangers, that they may avoid the ruin which others fall into.

Let us then a little consider this aversation in such acts of obedience, as wherein there is no concernment but that of God and the soul. In public duties there may be a mixture of other considerations; they may be so influenced by custom and necessity, that a right judgment cannot from them be made of this matter. But let us take into consideration the duties of retirement, as private prayer and meditation, and the like; or else extraordinary duties, or duties to be performed in an extraordinary manner.

First, In these will this aversation and loathing oftentimes discover itself in the affections. A secret striving will be in them about close and cordial dealing with God. Unless the hand of God in his Spirit be high and strong upon the soul, even when convictions, sense of duty, dear and real esteem of God, and communion with him, have carried the soul into its closet, yet if there be not the vigor and power of a spiritual life constantly at work, there will be a secret lothness in them to duty; yes, sometimes there will be a violent inclination to the contrary; so that the soul had rather do any thing, embrace any diversion, though it would it self thereby, than vigorously apply itself to that which in the inward man it breaths after. It is weary before it begins, and says, when will the work be over? Here God and the soul are immediately concerned, and it is a great conquest to do what we would, though we come exceedingly short of what we should do. Secondly, It discovers itself in the mind also: when we address ourselves to God in Christ, we are, as Job speaks, to fill our mouths with arguments (Job 23:4), that we may be able to plead with him, as he calls upon us to do (Isaiah 43:26), Put me in remembrance, let us plead together. From where the Church is called upon to take to itself words or arguments in going to God (Hosea 14:2). The sum is, that the mind should be furnished with the considerations that are prevailing with God, and be in readiness to plead them, and to manage them in the most spiritual manner to the best advantage. Now is there no difficulty to get the mind into such a frame, as to lay out itself to the utmost in this work? To be clear, steady, and constant in its duty? To draw out, and make use of its stores and furniture of promises and experiences? It starts, wanders, flags all from this secret aversation to communion with God, which proceeds from the law of indwelling sin. Some complain that they can make no work of meditation, they cannot bend their minds to it. I confess there may be a great cause of this, in their want of a right understanding of the duty itself, and of the ways of managing the soul in it, which therefore I shall a little speak to afterwards. But yet this secret enmity has its hand in the loss they are at also, and that both in their minds and in their affections. Others are forced to live in family and public duties, they find such little benefit and success in private. And here has been the beginning of the apostasy of many professors, and the source of many foolish sensual opinions. Finding this aversation in their minds and affections from closeness and constancy in private spiritual duties, not knowing how to conquer and prevail against these difficulties through him who enables us, they have at first been subdued to a neglect of them, first partial, then total, until having lost all conscience of them, they have had a door opened to all sin and licentiousness, and so to a full and utter apostasy. I am persuaded there are very few that apostatize from a profession of any continuance, such as our days abound withal, but their door of entrance into the folly of back-sliding, was either some great and notorious sin that bloodied their consciences, tainted their affections, and intercepted all delight of having any thing more to do with God; or else it was a course of neglect in private duties, arising from a weariness of contending against that powerful aversation which they found in themselves to them. And this also through the craft of Satan has been improved into many foolish and sensual opinions, of living to God without, and above any duties of communion. And we find, that after men have for a while choked and blinded their consciences with this pretence, cursed wickedness or sensuality has been the end of their folly. And the reason of all this is, that the giving way to the law of sin in the least, is the giving strength to it: To let it alone is to let it grow, not to conquer it is to be conquered by it.

As it is in respect of private, so it is also in respect of public duties, that have any thing extraordinary in them. What strivings, strugglings, and pleadings are there in the heart about them, especially against the spirituality of them? Yes, in and under them, will not the mind and affections sometimes be entangled with things uncouth, new and strange to them, such as at the time of the least serious business, a man would not deign to take into his thoughts. But if the least loose, liberty or advantage be given to indwelling sin, if it be not perpetually watched over, it will work to a strange and an unexpected issue. In brief, let the soul unclothe any duty whatever, private or public, any thing that is called good, let a man divest it of all outward respects which secretly insinuate themselves into the mind, and give it some complacency in what it is about, but do not render it acceptable to God, and he shall assuredly find somewhat of the power, and some of the effects of this aversation. It begins in lothness and indisposition, goes on with entangling the mind and affections with other things, and will end, if not prevented, in weariness of God, which he complains of in his people (Isaiah 43:22), They ceased from duty because they were weary of God.

But this instance being of great importance to professors in their walking with God, we must not pass it over without some intimations of directions for them in their contending against it, and opposition to it. Only this must be premised, that I am not giving directions for the mortifying of indwelling sin in general, which is to be done alone by the Spirit of Christ, by virtue of our union with him (Romans 8:13), but only of our particular duty, with reference to this especial evil or effect of indwelling sin that we have a little insisted on, or what in this single case the wisdom of faith seems to direct to, and call for; which will be our way and course in our process upon the consideration of other effects of it.

First, The great means to prevent the fruits and effects of this aversation, is the constant keeping of the soul in a universally holy frame. As this weakens the whole law of sin, so answerably all its properties; and particularly this aversation. It is this frame only that will enable us to say with the Psalmist (Psalm 57:7), My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed. It is utterly impossible to keep the heart in a prevailing holy frame in any one duty, unless it be so in and to all and every one. If sin entanglements get hold in any one thing, they will put themselves upon the soul in every thing. A constant even frame and temper in all duties, in all ways, is the only preservative for any one way. Let not him who is neglective in public persuade himself, that all will be clear and easy 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 arise generally from negligence as to the whole course. So David informs us (Psalm 119:6), Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have a respect to all your commandments. A universal respect to all God's commandments, is the only preservative from shame. And nothing have we more reason to be ashamed of, than the shameful miscarriages of our hearts in point of duty, which are from the principle before mentioned.

Secondly, Labor to prevent the very beginnings of the workings of this aversation; let grace be before-hand with it in every duty. We are directed (1 Peter 4:7) to watch to prayer; and as it is to prayer, so to every duty; that is, to consider and take care that we be not hindered from within, nor from without, as to a due performance of it. Watch against temptations to oppose them, watch against the aversation that is in sin to prevent it. As we are not to give place to Satan, no more are we to sin. If it be not prevented in its first attempts, it will prevail. My meaning is, whatever good, as the Apostle speaks, we have to do, and find evil present with us, as we shall find it present, prevent its parleying with the soul, its insinuating of poison into the mind and affections, by a vigorous, holy, violent stirring up of the grace, or graces that are to be acted and set at work peculiarly in that duty. Let Jacob come first into the world, or if prevented by the violence of Esau let him lay hold on his heel to overthrow him, and obtain the birth-right. Upon the very first motion of Peter to our Savior, crying, Master, spare yourself, he immediately replies, get you behind me Satan. So ought we to say, get you gone you law of sin, you present evil, and it may be of the same use to us. Get grace then, up betimes to duty, and be early in the rebukes of sin.

Thirdly, Though it do its worst, yet be sure it never prevail to a conquest. Be sure you be not wearied out by its pertinacity, nor driven from your hold by its importunity; do not faint by its opposition. Take the Apostle's advice (Hebrews 6:11), We desire that every one of you, do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end that you be not slothful. Still hold out in the same diligence. There are many ways whereby men are driven from a constant holy performance of duties, all of them dangerous, if not pernicious to the soul. Some are diverted by business, some by company, some by the power of temptations, some discouraged by their own darkness; but none so dangerous as this, when the soul gives over in part, or in whole, as wearied by the aversation of sin to it, or to communion with God in it. This argues the soul's giving up of itself to the power of sin, which unless the Lord break the snare of Satan therein, will assuredly prove ruinous. Our Savior's instruction is, that we ought always to pray, and not to faint (Luke 18:1). Opposition will arise, none so bitter and keen as that from our own hearts; if we faint we perish. Take heed lest you be wearied, says the Apostle, and faint in your minds (Hebrews 12:3). Such a fainting as is attended with a weariness and that with a giving place to the aversation working in our hearts, is to be avoided, if we would not perish. The caution is the same with that of the same Apostle (Romans 12:12), Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer. And in general with that of Chap. 6:12, Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lust thereof. To cease from duty, in part, or in whole, upon the aversation of sin to its spirituality, is to give sin the rule, and to obey it in the lust thereof. Yield not then to it, but hold out the conflict; wait on God and you shall prevail (Isaiah 40:31), They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as Eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. But that which is now so difficult, will increase in difficulty if we give way to it. But if we abide in our station, we shall prevail, the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

Fourthly, carry about a constant humbling sense of this close aversation to spiritualness that yet lies in our nature. If men find the efficacy of it, what should, what consideration can be more powerful to bring them to humble walking with God. That after all the discoveries that God has made of himself to them, all the kindness they have received from him, his doing of them good and not evil in all things, there should yet be such an heart of unkindness and unbelief, still abiding, as to have an aversation lying in it to communion with Him: how ought the thoughts of it to cast us into the dust, to fill us with shame and self-abhorrency all our days? What have we found in God in any of our approaches or addresses to him, that it should be thus with us? What iniquity have we found in him? Has he been a wilderness to us, or a land of darkness? Did we ever lose any thing by drawing nigh to him? No, has not therein lain all the rest and peace which we have obtained? Is not he the fountain and spring of all our mercies, of all our desirable things? Has he not bid us welcome at our coming? Have we not received from him more than heart can conceive, or tongue express? What ails then our foolish and wretched hearts, to harbour such a cursed secret dislike of him and his ways? Let us be ashamed and astonished at the consideration of it, and walk in a humbling sense of it all our days. Let us carry it about with us in the most secret of our thoughts. And as this is a duty in itself acceptable to God, who delights to dwell with them that are of an humble and contrite spirit; so it is of exceeding efficacy to the weakening of the evil we treat of.

Fifthly, labor to possess the mind with the beauty and excellency of spiritual things, that so they may be presented lovely and desirable to the soul, and this cursed aversation of sin will be weakened thereby. It is an innate acknowledged principle, that the soul of man will not keep up cheerfully to the worship of God, unless it have a discovery of a beauty and comeliness in it. Hence when men had lost all spiritual sense and savour of the things of God, to supply the want that was in their own souls, they invented outwardly pompous and gorgeous ways of worship, in images, paintings, pictures, and I know not what carnal ornaments which they have called the beauties of holiness. Thus much however was discovered therein, that the mind of man must see a beauty, a desirableness in the things of God's worship, or it will not delight in it, aversation will prevail. Let then the soul labor to acquaint itself with the spiritual beauty of obedience, of communion with God, and of all duties of immediate approach to him, that may be filled with delight in them. It is not my present work to discover the heads and springs of that beauty and desirableness which is in spiritual duties, in their relation to God, the eternal spring of all beauty, to Christ, the love, desire, and hope of all nations, to the Spirit the great beautifier of souls, rendering them by his grace all glorious within, in their suitableness to the souls of men, as to their actings towards their last end, in the rectitude and holiness of the rule in attendance whereunto they are to be performed; but I only say at present in general, that to acquaint the soul throughly with these things is an eminent way of weakening the aversation spoken of.