[5.] God doth this by some eminent diversions of the thoughts of men who had conceived sin. Gen. xxxvii. 24, the brethren of Jo- seph cast him into a pit, with an intent to famish him there. Whilst they were, as it seems, pleasing themselves with what they had done, God orders a company of merchants to come by, and diverts their
0BSTRUCTI02>vS TO CONCEIVED SIN. -267
thoughts with that new object from the kilUng to the selHng of their brother, verses 25-27; and how far therein they were subservient to the infinitely wise counsel of God we know. Thus, also, when Saul Avas in the pursuit of David, and was even read}^ to prevail against him to his destruction, God stirs up the Philistines to invade the land, which both diverted his thoughts and drew the course of his actings another way, 1 Sam. xxiii. 27.
And these are some of the ways whereby God is pleased to hinder the bringing forth of conceived sin, by opposing himself and his pro- vidence to the power of the sinning creature. And we may a little, in our passage, take a brief view of the great advantages to faith and the church of God which may be found in this matter; as, —
1st. This may give us a little insight into the ever-to-be-adored providence of God, by these and the like ways in great variety ob- structing the breaking forth of sin in the world. It is he who makes those dams, and shuts up those flood-gates of corrupted nature, that it shall not break forth in a deluge of filthy abominations, to over- whelm the creation with confusion and disorder. As it was of old, so it is at this day : " Every thought and imagination of the heart of man is evil, and that continually." That all the earth is not in all l^laces filled with violence, as it was of old, is merely from the mighty hand of God working effectually for the obstructing of sin. From hence alone it is that the highways, streets, and fields are not all filled with violence, blood, rapine, uncleanness, and every villany that the heart of man can conceive. Oh, the infinite beauty of divine wisdom and providence in the government of the world! for the conservation of it asks daily no less power and wisdom than the first making of it did require.
2cUj/. If we will look to our own concernments, they will in a special manner enforce us to adore the wisdom and efficacy of the providence of God in stopping the progress of conceived sin. That we are at peace in our houses, at rest in our beds, that we have any quiet in our enjoyments, is from hence alone. Whose person would not be defiled or destroyed, — whose habitation would not be ruined, — whose blood almost would not be shed, — if wicked men had power to perpe- trate all their conceived sin? It may be the ruin of some of us hath been conceived a thousaud times. We are beholding to this provi- dence of obstructing sin for our lives, our families, our estates, our liberties, for whatsoever is or may be dear unto us ; for may we not say sometimes, with the psalmist, Ps. Ivii. 4, " My soul is among lions : and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arroAvs, and their tongue a sharp sword?" And how is the deliverance of men contrived from such persons? Ps. Iviii. 6, " God breaks their teeth in their mouths, even the great
2G8 THE NATURE AND POWER OF INDWELLING SIN.
teeth of tlie yoiuig lions." He keeps this fire from burning, or quencheth it when it is ready to break out into a flame. He breaks their spears and arrows, so that sometimes we are not so much as wounded by them. Some he cuts off and destroys; some he cuts short in their power; some he deprives of the instruments whereby alone they can work ; some he jirevents of their desired opportunities, or diverts by other objects for their lusts; and oftentimes causeth them to spend them among themselves, one upon another. We may say, therefore, with the psalmist, Ps. civ. 24, " 0 Lord, how manifold are thy works ! in wisdom hast thou made them all : the earth is full of thy riches;" and with the prophet, Hos. xiv. 9, " Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? all the ways of tlie Lord are rigiit, and the just shall walk in them : but the transgressors shall fall therein."
odly. If these and the like are the ways whereby God obviates the bringing forth of conceived sin in wicked men, we may learn hence how miserable their condition is, and in what perpetual torment, for the most part, they spend their days. They " are like a troubled sea," saith the Lord, " that cannot rest." As they endeavour that others may have no peace, so it is certain that themselves have not any; the principle of sin is not impaired nor weakened in them, the will of sinning is not taken away. They have a womb of sin, that is able to conceive monsters every moment. Yea, for the most part, they are forging and framing folly all the day long. One lust or other they are contriving how to satisfy. They are either devouring by malice and revenge, or vitiating by uncleanness, or trampling on by ambition, or swallowing down by covetousness, all that stand be- fore them. Many of their follies and mischiefs they bring to the very birth, and are in pain to be delivered ; but God every day fills them with disappointment, and shuts up the womb of sin. Some are filled with hatred of God's people all their days, and never once have an opportunity to exercise it. So David describes tliem, Ps. lix. 6, " They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city." They go up and down, and " belch out with their mouth : swords are in their lips," verse 7, and yet are not able to accomplish their designs. What tortures do such poor creatures live in ! Envy, malice, wrath, revenge, devour their hearts by not getting vent. And when God hath exercised the other acts of his wise providence in cutting short their power, or opposing a greater power to them, when nothing else will do, he cuts them off in their sins, and to the grave they go, full of purposes of iniquity. Others are no less hurried and diverted by the power of other lusts which they are not able to satisfy. This is the sore travail they are exer- cised with all their days: — If they accomplish their designs they are