(1.) The great aggravation of the evil of a state of sin. Men who live therein do voluntarily wrest themselves, what lieth in them, from under the rule of the law of God, and give up themselves to be slaves unto this tyrant. Could it lay any claim to this dominion, had it any title to plead, it were some alleviation of guilt in them that give up themselves unto it. But men “yield themselves” to the slavery of sin, as the apostle speaks; they reject the rule of God’s law, and choose this foreign yoke; which cannot but be an aggravation of their sin and misery. Yet so it is, that the greatest part of men do visibly and openly profess themselves the servants and slaves of sin. They wear its livery and do all its drudgery; yea, they boast them- selves in their bondage, and never think themselves so brave and gallant as when, by profane swearing, drunkenness, uncleanness, co- vetousness, and scoffing at religion, they openly avow the lord whom they serve, the master to whom they do belong. But their “damna- tion slumbereth not,” whatever they may dream in the meantime.
(2.) Hence it follows that ordinarily all men have a right in them- selves to cast off the rule of sin, and to vindicate themselves mto liberty. They may, when they will, plead the right and title of the law of God unto the rule of their souls, to the utter exclusion of all pleas and pretences of sin for its power. They have right to say unto it, “Get thee hence; what have I to do any more with idols?”
All men, I say, have this right in themselves, because of the na- tural allegiance they owe to the law of God; but they have not power of themselves to execute this right, and actually to cast off the yoke of sin: but this is the work of grace. Sin’s dominion is broken
only by grace.
510 OF THE DOMINION OF SIN AND GRACE.
But you will say then, “ Unto what end serves this right, if they have not power in themselves to put it in execution? and how can it be charged as an aggravation of their sin that they do not use the right which they have, seeing they have no power so to do? Will you blame a man that hath a right to an estate if he do not recover it, when he hath no means so to do?”
I answer briefly three things :—
[1.] No man living neglects the use of this right to cast off the yoke and dominion of sin because he cannot of himself make use of it, but merely because he will not. He doth voluntarily choose to con- tinue under the power of sin, and looks on every thing as his enemy that would deliver him: “The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject unto the law of God, neither indeed can be,” Rom. viii. 7. When the law comes at any time to claim its right and rule over the soul, a man under the power of sin looks on it as his enemy, that comes to disturb his peace, and fortifies his mind against it; and when the gospel comes and tenders the way and means for the soul’s delivery, offering its aid and assistance unto that end, this also is looked on as an enemy, and is rejected, and all its offers unto that end. See Prov. i. 24-31; John iii. 19. This, then, is the condition of every one that abides under the dominion of sin: he chooses so to do; he continues in that state by an act of his own will; he avows an enmity unto every thing which would give him deliverance ;—which will be a sore aggravation of his condemnation at the last day.
[2.] God may justly require that of any which it is in the power of the grace of the gospel to enable them to perform and comply withal; for this is tendered unto them in the preaching of it every day. And althéugh we know not the ways and means of the effec- tual communication of grace.unto the souls of men, yet this is cer- tain, that grace is so tendered in the preaching of the gospel, that none go without it, none are destitute of its aids and assistances, but those alone who, by a free act of their own wills, do refuse and reject it. This is that which the whole cause depends on, “ Ye will not come to me that ye might have life;” and this all unbelievers have, or may have, experience of in themselves. They may know, on a due examination of themselves, that they do voluntarily refuse the assistance of grace which is offered for their deliverance: there- fore is their destruction of themselves. But,—
[3.] There is a time when men lose even the right also. He who gave up himself to have his ear bored lost all his claim unto future liberty; he was not to go out at the year of jubilee: so there is a time when God judicially gives up men to the rule of sin, to abide under it for ever, so as that they lose all right unto liberty. So he dealt with many of the idolatrous Gentiles of old, Rom. i, 24, 26, 28,