[3.] As sin in general should not bear sway in our hearts, so no one sin should have dominion over us : Ps. cxix. 133, ' Order my steps in thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me ; ' neither this nor that. One sin allowed may keep God out of the throne, and may keep afoot Satan's interest in the soul. Certainly he that is in the state of grace lieth in no known sin. Every known sin sets up another god and lord, and all his actions will have an evil tincture from that sin ; every action will be levelled with the main thing which he affects, be it what it will be ; therefore it is dangerous to know anything to be sin, and yet to go on still to commit it, though it be not m Tiiiateria gravi, in a heinous case ; as for instance, vain speeches, wanton gestures, &c. ; he knoweth it is a sin to be idle ; it cometh into his mind ; his conscience telleth him that he should not, yet he will : so for immoderate gaming, as to the expense of time or money, if one convinced that he should not yet will use it ; these lesser failings persisted in, and kept up constantly against the light and checks of conscience, may amount to a dangerous evil. Surely all that fear and love God should be very tender of displeasing and dishonour- ing him. The domination of acts of sin is dangerous ; though they be not settled so as to damn him, yet they may cause God to affiict you, hide his face from you, and humble you with a sense of his displeasure. Small sins continued in against checks of conscience may do us a great deal of harm, and get the upper hand of the sinner, and bring him under in time ; after, if habituated by long custom, so as he cannot easily shake off the yoke, or redeem himself from the tyranny thereof, they steal into the soul insensibly, and get strength, as multi- plied acts ; but gross presumptuous sins by one single act bring a mighty advantage to the flesh, weaken the spirit, advance themselves suddenly.
[4.] As particular sins get into the throne by turns, sometimes one sometimes another, so there are evil frames of spirit that do more directly oppose the esteem and sovereignty and power of God in the lieart ; as those three mentioned : 1 John ii. 16, ' The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life ; ' either voluptuousness or the inordinate love of pleasures, when men make it their business to gratify their senses, and glut and throng their hearts with all manner of de- lights ; or else are surprised with an immeasurable desire of heaping up riches, or affectation of credit and honour. Now these evil frames
VeR. 14.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 263
of heart should be the more watched and striven against, because these sins rise up against God, as he is the last end and chief good ; they set up idols instead of God, mammon instead of God. All that are carnal and unsanctified are under the power of these : Luke viii. 14, ' That which fell among thorns are they, which when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring forth no fruit to perfection ; ' they never carry on religion to any good effect and purpose. And there are none of God's children but need constantly to be mortifying and subduing them. As in a gar- den the weeds will grow, because the roots are not quite plucked up, so there must be a constant mortification, because they are natural to us, and the back bias of corruption is not wholly taken ofi", even in the most mortified of God's children.
[5.] There is a dominion of sin, which is more gross and sensible, or more secret and close. More open ; for though sin doth reign in every one by nature, yet this dominion doth more sensibly appear in some than others, who are judicially given up to be under the visible dominion of sin, as the just fruit of their voluntary living under that yoke, and are set forth as warnings to the rest of the world, as men hung up in chains of darkness ; they are apparently and in conspectu homimcm instances of this woful slavery; every man that seeth them, and is acquainted with their course of life, may without breach of charity say, There goeth one who declareth himself to be a servant to sin. This may be either as to sin in general, or to some particular sin.
(1.) To sin in general. Whosoever he be that, instead of trembling at God's word, scoffeth at it, and maketh more account of the course of this world than of the will of God, of the fashions of men than of God's word, and thinketh the scorn of a base worm, that would deride him for godliness, a greater terror than the wrath of the eternal God, and the love of his carnal companions is prized as a greater happiness than communion with Christ, and, instead of working out his salvation with fear and trembling, runneth into all excess of riot, or carelessly neglects his precious soul while he pampereth his vile body, and doth voluntarily and ordinarily leave the boat to the stream, and give up himself to serve his corruptions without resistance or seeking out for help ; this man is without dispute, and in the eye of all the world, a slave to sin : Rom, vi. 16, ' Know ye not, that to whom ye yield your- selves servants to obey, his servants ye are, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness ?' It is an apparent case ; a man that giveth up himself to go on in the way of his own heart, restraineth himself in nothing which it affects, is one of sin's slaves. So our Lord Jesus : John viii. 34, ' Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever com- mitteth sin is the servant of sin ; ' there needeth no further doubt nor debate about the matter. He that goeth on in a trade of sin, and maketh that his work and business in the world, never seriously looking after the saving of his soul, this soul is one in whom sin reigneth.