(2.) But now secondly, he judgeth the prince of this icorld, as well as him- self; that as he judgeth himself for his actions, so he judgeth all the motions of sin in his heart : that for the present, if any motion be rising from his own corruption, drawing him to a new act of evil, he judgeth and con- demneth the sin in his heart, and this is the very original, and the root of that conflict in his soul, this work of the Spirit, a conviction of judgment, that now hath made a man as a judge against himself ; and therefore now he sits as a judge doth, to prevent sin by all means ; he sets himself against the motions of sin, which was the case of the apostle Paul : Rom. vii. 19, * When I would do good, evil is present with me.' But what, doth he let
278 sin's antidote.
this go on ? No, he strives against it, that as the flesh lusteth against the spirit, so the spirit lusteth against the flesh; there is a seed, there is a work of grace striving to work out tho corruption in his heart. This is in all the servants of God, in all those whom God bestows this mercy upon of the forgiveness of sins, to condemn the motions of sin, and therefore he sets against them. ' 0 wretched man ! saith the apostle, 'who shall deliver me from this body of death ?' He calls for help as it were against the body of death ; he looks about to see if it bo possible by any means to get it rooted out. When a man hath a thief gotten into his house, he calls for all his neighbours to help him, that he may take him there ; so there is a thief got into the soul, for now sin is not in his heart as a lord, but as a thief, and therefore he calls for help, that seeing it is gotten in, he may get it out again. But this, I say, beloved, is in all the servants of God that shall have remission of sins, there is this conviction of judgment ; that is, they are brought to this pass, that now they judge themselves and their sin, and condemn it in themselves. Now, upon this follows reformation and amendment of life, because they judge the prince of this world ; they judge all the works of Satan, and all the motions of sin in their hearts ; and therefore now they set themselves into a contrary way, to works of obedience, and amendment of life. So the promise is made that, 1 John i. 9, ' If you walk in the light, as he is in the light, the blood of Christ shall cleanse you from all your sins.' Thus you see now how a man may know and prove that his sins are forgiven. Put all this together, and let every man now examine his own heart ; I know no man but would desire to par- take of the comfort of this doctrine ; and I told you already, there is great reason why every man should labour after it, to get the knowledge of this, that his sins are forgiven. We are yet but upon that point, how a man may know that his sins are forgiven. Now for this pm-pose, I say, consider what hath been said. It is a thing that is revealed to a man by the Spirit of God ; the Spirit of God doth manifest in the word those grounds and texts upon which a man may gain this assurance to his soul. Now look on this threefold conviction of the Spirit, whereby it manifests this work, conviction of sin, conviction of righteousness, and conviction of judgment, for they all go together in that heart whose sins are forgiven. I say conviction of sin : first, it makes a man see the loathsomeness of his sin, the ugliness of it ; it makes him account it a burden that he would fain be eased of it, and therefore he confesseth it; therefore he sets against it with all his might, and therefore he loathes and detests it. That is the first thing.
Now try yourselves by that, whether you yet apprehend your sins in that manner or no ; not for a man to say generally, I am a sinner, &c,, and to send forth some few sighs, slight and short, to no purpose, in a cursory and formal manner, — as the manner of many is, — but it is another manner of work. And therefore, I beseech you, consider seriously what is that in- ward secret work of the Spirit upon the heart ; what effects it hath upon the affections of tho soul, that is, upon the discovery of the filthiness of sin, to make a man weary of it, to loathe it, to hate it, to desire to be rid of it, to strive against it, to confess it, &c.
Whither hath this consideration sent thee ? Hath it made thee to set a greater price upon Christ, and upon the gospel ofiering Christ unto thee ; such a prizing of him as that thou lettest all go to seek him, that is, thou seekest Christ above all things ; and if thou hast indeed gotten him, thou wilt not lose the comfort of him, but daily walk in him, that thy hfe is now