3. It disableth us for God's service. While we live in sin, we are not only weak, but dead. Let us take the softest notion : Rom. v. 6, ' When we were yet without strength,' &c., that is, unable to perform any obedience to God, sick and weak, yea, in a dangerous estate. A heart under the power of sin is feeble and impotent : Ezek. xvi. 30, ' How weak is thine heart, seeing thou dost these things, tlie work of an imperious whorish woman ? ' The strength of the disease is the weakness of the person that suffereth it ; so the strength of sin is the weakness of the soul that cannot break the force of their own passions and affections, but are easily led away by temptations, have no strength left to do the will of their creator, to overcome temptations to sin, to govern their own passions and affections, but are at the beck of every foolish and hurtful lust, pride, sensuality, worldliness, carnal fear, sorrow, &c.
4. It not only disabletli us for our duty, but setteth our hearts against it : Rom. viii. 7, ' The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' It dis- liketh his government, riseth up in defiance of his strict laws, so that man is a perfect rebel to God. If this law be enforced by external messengers : Ilosea iv. 4, ' Let no man strive nor reprove another, for this people are as they that strive with the priest.' It is to no pur- pose to seek to reclaim them, for they would, admit of no admonition ; for they opposed their teachers, urging not their own private sugges- tions, but the sentence of the law of God ; slight all those that would oppose their growth and continuance in sin ; are enemies to them that tell them the truth. So in the checks of their own consciences : Rom, vii, 23, ' I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sin and death that is in my members.' Sin sets up a commanding power, in direct opposi- tion to the dictates of conscience. So for the spirit : Gal. v, 17, ' The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and tlie spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.' Now, to be freed from this enmity and oppo- sition to God, and averseness from all that is good, is certainly a great mercy, and this we have by a due improvement of the death of Christ.
5. It is not a distant evil, but in our bowels, always present with us, hindering that which is good : Rom. vii. 21, ' When I would do good, evil is present witli me ;' urging us to that which is evil ; there- fore called, Heb. xii. 1, ' Sin that doth so easily beset us.' This inbred corruption is ever with us, lying down and rising up, at home and abroad ; it is ready to open the door to all temptations : James i. 14,
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' Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own hists and enticed.' It poisons all our comforts and mercies, and strengthens itself against God by his own benefits, while it useth them ' as an occasion to the flesh,' Gal. v. 13. It corrupts all our duties, distract- ing us with vain thoughts in prayer : Mat. xv. 8, ' This people draw- etii nigh to me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.' It choketh the good seed : Luke viii. 14, ' That which fell among thorns are they which, when they have heard the Avord, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring forth no fruit to perfection.' It makes our abode in the world dangerous : 2 Peter i. 4, ' Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.' It maketh us lazy and negligent in our callings. It turneth our table into a snare, while we glut ourselves with carnal delights, and oppress our bodies, when we should refresh them ; and maketh us inordinate in all that we enjoy and do. Therefore, to get rid of such an enemy surely is a great mercy.
G. Till you get rid of sin, there is a thorn in your foot, so that you will have no ease nor comfort till you set yourselves to destroy every sin of heart and life, and make it your principal care and daily busi- ness. For if you live in wilful sin and negligence, you are unwilling to be delivered, and so lose all comfort of justification and hope by Christ. "While you cherish sensual lusts, which you should mortify, all the promises in God's book will not yield you one dram of com- fort, nor help you to assurance : you may complain long enough be- fore you have ease, for this still lieth against you, ' You regard ini- quity in your hearts,' Ps. Ixvi. 18. Conscience must be better used before it will speak peace to you. They only that have cast off the yoke of sin are freed from the guilt of it ; they that give way to sin are not justified. Justification is opposed both to the condemnation of a sinner, and to the condemnation of a hypocrite. A sinner is justified from his sin by faith in Christ only, if his faith be sincere ; if he still indulge sin in his heart, and be a servant of sin, he is still liable to be condemned, both as a sinner and a hypocrite ; for he re- mains a sinner still, and is a hypocrite, inasmuch as he pretends to that faith by which he should be justified from all his other sins, while he hath it not.