' David, in an. hour of temptation, once made provision for his lusts, 2 Sam. xi. 14, 15; biit tliis was not his course, his trade, &c.
^ .lob XX. 12, 13; Prov. ii. 14; Amos vi. 13; Zeph. iii. 11; 2 Thes. ii. 12. ^ Plutarch.
278 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. I.
with, which had been acted by the devil all night, and left dead again in the morning ; so that the gallant's pleasure ended in no small terror. And thus it is doubtless with all sinful pleasures. What sin is there so sweet or proj&table that is worth burning in hell for, or worth shutting- out of heaven for ? &c. But,
[6.] Sixthly, When men commonly take paH with sin, when they take up arms in the defence of sin, and in defiance of the commands of God, the motions of the Spirit, and the checks of conscience, then sin is in dominion. He that readily, resolvedly, and habitually fights sin's battles is sin's servant, and without all peradventure under the reign and dominion of sin. Look, as we groundedly conclude, that such men are under the reign and dominion of that king, that they readily, resolvedly, and habitually take up arms to fight for ; so when the inward faculties of the soul, and the outward members of the body, do readily resolve, and habitually take up arms to fight for sin, then and there sin is in dominion, as you may plainly see by consulting the scrip- tures in the margin ;^ but where the soul readily, resolvedly, and habi- tually strives against it, conflicts with it, and makes war against it, there it is not in dominion, there it reigns not, as you may see by comparing the scriptures in the margin together.^ That man that can truly appeal to God, and say. Lord ! thou that knowest all hearts and things, thou knowest that there is nothing under the whole heavens that I am so desirous and ambitious of as this, that my sins may be subdued, that my strongest lusts may be mortified, and that those very corruptions that my nature, constitution, and complexion is most inclined to, may be brought to an under ; — that man that can appeal to God, and say,
0 Lord ! whatever becomes of me, I will never be reconciled to any known sin ; yea, Lord, though I should perish for ever, yet I am resolved to fight against my sins for ever ; let God do what he will against me,
1 will do all I can against my sins, and to honour my God ; — that man is not under the reign and dominion of sin. But,
[7] Seventhly, When sin commonly rises by opposition, then it reigns. Look, as grace, when it is in the throne, it rises by opposition:
2 Sam. vi. 22, ' I will yet be more vile ;' Mark x. 47, 48, ' And many charged him that he should hold his peace : but he cried the more a great deal. Thou Son of David, have mercy on me' ;* so when sin is in the throne, it rises higher and higher by opposition. As the more water you cast upon lime, the more fiercely it burns ; so when sin is in its reign and dominion, it flames out the more by opposition. Witness the Jews' malice and envy against Christ, which, when it received but a little easy, gentle check by Pilate, they cried out so much the more, 'Crucify him, crucify him,' j\lark xv. 12-14. A man that is under the reign and dominion of sin, is like the rainbow ; the rainbow is never on that side of the world that the sun is, but wheresoever it appears, it is in opposition against the sun : if the sun be in the east, the rainbow is in the west, &c. Where sin has the throne, it will still rise higher and higher by opposition. Reprove a swearer for swearing, and he will swear so much the more ; yea, many times he will swear that he did not swear, when indeed he did ; and so it holds in all other vices
• Rom. vi. 19. 20: Eph- ii. 2. 3; Titus iii. 3.
^ Horn. vii. 23, 24; Gal. v. 17 Kom. viii. 13. ^ ^ctd iv. C-34, v. 40-42.
Chap. I.] a cabinet of jewels. 279
that the sinner is given up to. It is said of Catiline, that he was a compound and bundle of warring lusts and vices ; the same may be said of all others, where sin is in dominion. But,
[8.] Eighthly, and lastly, // the Lord Jesus Christ hath not dominion over you, then sin has certainly dominion over you, Rom. vi. 17, 18. Christ hath no dominion over that soul that sin hath dominion over, and sin hath no dominion over that soul that Christ hath dominion over. Christ and sin cannot have dominion over the same soul at one and the same time ; Christ's dominion is destructive, and inconsistent with sin s dominion, &c.
Quest. But hoiu shall I know ivliether the Lord Jesus Christ hath dominion over iny soid or no? Hoiv shall I knovj ivhether the Lord Jesus Christ he my Lord or nol For if 1 can but ground^dly con- clude that Christ is my Lord, then I may very boldly, safely, and undoubtedly conclude, that sin is not my Lord ; but if Christ be not my Lord, 1 riiay more than fear that sin is certainly my Lord.