(2.) Madness or rage is accompanied with fearlessness and con- tempt of danger. It takes away the power of consideration, and all that influence that it ought to have upon the soul. Hence sinners that are wholly under the power of this rage are said to " run upon God, and the thick bosses of his buckler," Job xv. 26;- — that wherein he is armed for their utter ruin. They despise the utmost that he can do to them, being secretly resolved to accomplish their lusts, though it cost them their souls. Some few considerations will farther clear this unto us : —
[1.] Ofttimes, when the soul is broken loose from the power of renewing grace, God deals with it, to keep it within bounds, by j^'^^i^- venting grace. So the Lord declares that he will deal with Israel,
VOL. VI. 1 4
210 THE NATURE AND POWER OF INDWELLING SIN.
Hos. ii. G ; — " Seeing tliou hast rejected me, I will take another course with thee. I will lay obstacles before thee that thou shalt not be able to pass on whither the fury of thy lusts would drive thee." He will propose that to them from without that shall obstruct them in their progress.
[2.] These hinderances that God lays in the way of sinners, as shall be afterward at large declared, are of two sorts: —
1st. Rational co7isideratio7is, taken from the consequence of the sin and evil that the soul is solicited unto and perplexed withal. Such are the fear of death, judgment, and hell, — falling into the hands of the liv- ing God, who is a consuming fire. Whilst a man is under the power of the law of the Spirit of life, the " love of Christ constraineth him," 2 Cor. V. 14. The principle of his doing good and abstaining from evil is faith working by love, accompanied with a following of Christ because of the sweet savour of his name. But now, when this blessed, easy yoke is for a season cast off, so as was manifested before, God sets a hedge of terror before the soul, minds it of death and judgment to come, flashes the flames of hell-fire in the face, fills the soul with consideration of all the evil consequence of sin, to deter it from its purpose. To this end doth he make use of all threatenings recorded in the law and gospel. To this head also may be referred all the considerations that may be taken from things temporal, as shame, reproach, scandal, punishments, and the like. By the consideration of these things, I say, doth God set a hedge before them.
2dlT/. Providential dispensations are used by the Lord to the same purpose, and these are of two sorts : —
(\st) Such as are suited to work upon the soul, and to cause it to desist and give over in its lustings and pursuit of sin. Such are afflictions and mercies: Isa. Ivii. 17, "I was wroth, and I smote them;" — "I testified my dislike of their ways by afflictions." So Hos. ii. 9, 1 1, 12. God chastens men with pains on their bodies; saith he in Job, " To turn them from their purpose, and to hide sin from them," chap, xxxiii. 17-19. And other ways he hath to come to them and touch them, as in their names, relations, estates, and desirable things; or else he heaps mercies on them, that they may consider whom they are rebelling against. It may be signal distinguishing mercies are made their portion for many days.
{2dly.) Such as actually hinder the soul from pursuing sin, though it be resolved so to do. The various ways whereby God doth this we must afterward consider.
These are the ways, I say, whereby the soul is dealt withal, after the law of indwelling sin hath cast off for a sea.son the influencing power of the law of giace. But now, when lust rises up to rage or madness, it wUl also contemn all these, even the rod, and Him that
DECEITFULNESS OF INDWELLING SIN. 211
hath appointed it. It will rush on shame, reproaches, wrath, and whatever may befall it ; that is, though they be presented unto it, it will venture upon them all. Rage and madness is fearless. And this it doth two ways: —
[1st.] It possesseth the mind, that it suffers not the consideration of these things to dwell uj^on it, but renders the thoughts of them slight and evanid ; or if the mind do force itself to a contemplation of them, yet it interposeth between it and the affections, that they shall not be influenced by it in any proportion to what is required. The soul in such a condition will be able to take such things into contemplation, and not at all to be moved by them ; and where they do prevail for a season, yet they are insensibly wrought off from the heart again.
[2dly.] By secret stuhborn resolves to venture all upon the way wherein it is.
And this is the second branch of this evidence of the power of sin, taken from the opposition that it makes to the law of grace, as it were by the way of force, strength, and violence. The consideration of its deceit doth now follow.