1. It appears to be a work oi great jioiuer and efficacy from the provision that is made against it, wdiich it prevails over. There is in the covenant of grace plentiful provision made, not only for the pre- venting of declensions and decays in believers, but also for their con- tinual carrying on towards perfection; as, —
(1.) The luord itself and all the ordinances of the gospel are appointed and given unto us for this end, Eph. iv. 11—15. That which is the end of giving gospel officers to the church is the end also of giving all the ordinances to be administered by them; for they are given " for the work of the ministry," — that is, for the ad- ministration of the ordinances of the gospel. Now, what is or what are these ends? They are all for the preventing of decays and de- clensions in the saints, all for the carrying them on to perfection; so it is said, verse 12. In general, it is for the " i:)erfecting of the saints," carrying on the work of grace in them, and the work of holiness and
POWER OF SIN IN THE LIVES OF PROFESSOllS. 285
obedience by tliem ; or for the edifying of the body of Christ, their building up in an increase of faith and love, even of every true mem- ber of the mystical body. But how far are they appointed thus to carry them on, thus to build them up? Hath it bounds fixed to its work? Doth it carry them so far, and then leave them ? " No," saith the apostle, verse 13. The dispensation of the word of the gospel, and the ordinances thereof, is designed for our help, assistance, and furtherance, until the whole work of faith and obedience is consum- mate. It is appointed to perfect and complete that faith, knowledge, and growth in grace and holiness, which is allotted unto us in this world. But what and if oppositions and temptations do lie in the way, Satan and his instruments working with great subtlety and deceit? Why, verse 14, these ordinances are designed for our safe- guarding and deliverance from all their attempts and assaults, that so being preserved in the use of them, or " speaking the truth in love, we may grow up unto him in all things who is the head, even Christ Jesus." This is, in general, the use of all gospel ordinances, the cliief and main end for which they were given and appointed of God, — namely, to preserve believers from all decays of faith and obedience, and to carry them on still towards perfection. These are means which God, the good husbandman, makes use of to cause the vine to thrive and bring forth fruit. And I could also manifest the same to be the especial end of them distinctly. Briefly, the word is milk and strong meat, for the nourishing and strengtheniixg of all sorts and all degrees of believers. It hath both seed and water in it, and manur- ing with it, to make them fruitful. The ordinance of the supper is appointed on purpose for the strengthening of our faith, in the remem- brance of the death of the Lord, and the exercise of love one towards another. The communion of saints is for the edifying each other in faith, love, and obedience.
(2.) There is that which adds weight to this consideration. God suffers us not to be unmindful of this assistance he hath afforded us, but is continually calling upon us to make use of the means appointed for the attaining of the end proposed. He shows them unto us, as the angel showed the water-spring to Hagar. Commands, exhortations, promises, threatenings, are multiplied to this purpose; see them summed up, Heb. ii. 1. He is continually saying to us, " Why will ye die? why will ye wither and decay? Come to the pastures pro- vided for you, and your souls shall live." If we see a lamb run from the fold into the wilderness, we wonder not if it be torn and rent of wild beasts. If we see a sheep leaving its green pastures and water- courses, to abide in dry barren heaths, we count it no marvel, nor in- quire farther, if we see him lean and ready to perish; but if we find lambs wounded in the fold, we wonder at the boldness and rage of
286 THE NATURE AND POWER OF INDWELLING SIN.
tlie beasts of prey that durst set upon them there. If we see sheep pining in full pastures, we judge them to be diseased and unsound. It is indeed no marvel tliat poor creatures who forsake their own mercies, and run away from the pasture and fold -of Christ in his ordinances, are rent and torn with divers lusts, and do pine away with hunger and famine; but to see men living under and enjoying all the means of spiritual thriving, yet to decay, not to be fat and flou- rishing, but rather daily to pine and wither, this argues some secret powerfid distemper, whose poisonous and noxious qualities hinder the virtue and efficacy of the means they enjoy. This is indwelling sin. So wonderfully powerful, so effectually poisonous it is, that it can bring leanness on the souls of men in the midst of all precious means of growth and flourishing. It may well make us tremble, to see men living under and in the use of the means of the gospel, preaching, praying, administration of sacraments, and yet grow colder every day than others in zeal for God, more selfish and worldly, even habitually to decline as to the degrees of holiness which tliey had attained unto. (3.) Together with the dispensation of the outward means of spiritual growth or improvement, there are also supplies of gi'ace con- tinually afforded the saints from their head, Christ. He is the head of all the saints ; and he is a living head, and so a living head as that he tells us that " because he liveth we shall live also," John xiv. 19. He communicates of spiritual life to all that are his. In him is the fountain of our life^ which is therefore said to be " hid with him in God," Col. iii. 3. And this life he gives unto his saints by quicken- ing of them by his Spirit, Rom. viii. 11; and he continues it unto them by the supplies of living grace which he communicates imto them. From these two, his quickening of us, and continually giving out supplies of life unto us, he is said to live in us: Gal. ii. 20, " I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ; " — " The spiritual life which I have is not mine own; not from myself was it educed, not by myself is it maintained, but it is merely and solely the work of Christ: so that it is not I that live, but he lives in me, the whole of my life beinsf from him alone." Neither doth this living head communicate only a bare life unto believers, that they should merely live and no more, a poor, weak, dying life, as it were; but he gives out sufficiently to afford them a strong, vigorous, thriving, flourishing life, John x. 10. He comes not only that his sheep " may have life," but that " they may have it more abundantly;" that is, in a plentiful manner, so as that they may flourish, be fat and fi-uitful. Thus is it with the whole body of Christ, and every member thereof, Eph. iv. 15, 16, whereby it " grows up into hini in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body lit ly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working