3. The instrumental cause of this freedom is the duty of believers themselves in and for the destruction of sin. And this also manifests the importance of this privilege. This is one of the principal ends of all our religious duties,—of prayer, of fasting, of meditation, of watchfulness unto all other duties of obedience; they are all designed to prevent and ruin the interest of sin in us. We are called into a theatre, to fight and contend; into a field, to be tried in a warfare. Our enemy is this sin, which strives and contends for the rule over us. This we are to resist even unto blood; that is, unto our utmost in doing and suffering. And certainly that is in itself and unto us of the highest importance, which, on divine appointment and command, is the great end of the constant endeavours of our whole lives.
Secondly, It appears so to be from the consideration of the bond- age which we are delivered from thereby. Bondage is that which human nature is most averse from, until it be debased and debauched by sensual lusts. Men of ingenuous spirits have in all ages chosen rather to die than to be made slaves. But there is no such bondage as that which is under the dominion of sin. To be under the power of base lusts, as covetousness, uncleanness, drunkenness, ambition, pride, and the like, to make provision to fulfil their desires in the wills of the mind and the flesh, is the worst of slavery.
But we may say what we please on this subject; none think them-
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selves so free, none maké such an appearance of generous freedom unto others, as those who are avowed servants of sin. If those are not freemen who do what they please, and are for the most part approved in what they do, who puff at all their enemies, and scorn such as pusillanimous slaves who go not forth unto the same com- pass of excess with them, who shall be esteemed free? They plead, with the Pharisees, that they are the only freemen, and were never in bondage to any! The servile restraints of fear from divine judg- ment and future accounts they wholly despise! See the description, Ps, lxxiii. 4-11. Who so free, so joyous, as such persons! As for others, they are “ plagued all the day long, and are chastened every morning,” verse 14; yea, they go heavily and mournfully under the oppression of this enemy, crying out continually for deliverance.
But the truth insisted on is not at all impeached by this observa- tion. Itis a great part of the slavery of such persons that they know not themselves to be slaves, and boast that they are free. They are born in a state of enmity against God and bondage under sin; and they like well of it, as all abject slaves do under the worst of tyrants: they know no better. But true liberty consists in inward peace, tranquillity of mind, designs for and inclinations unto the best things, the most noble objects of our natural, rational souls. All these they are utter strangers unto who spend their lives in the ser- vice of vile and base lusts. Envy not their gallantry, their glitter- ing appearances, their heaps of wealth and treasures; they are, on the whole, vile and contemptible slaves. The apostle determines their case, Rom vi. 17. It is a matter of eternal thankfulness unto
-God that we are delivered from being “the servants of sin.”
Yea, it is an evidence of grace, of a good frame of spirit, when a soul is made really sensible of the exeellency of this freedom, when it finds the power and interest of sin to be so weakened as that it can rejoice in it, and be thankful to God for it, Rom. vii. 25.
Thirdly, It is so with respect unto the end of this bondage, or what it brings men unto. If, after all the base drudgery which sin- ful men are put unto in the service of their lusts; if, after all the conflicts which their consciences put them on, with fears and terrors in the world,—they could expect any thing of a future reward here- after, something might be spoken to alleviate their present misery: but “the wages of sin is death;” eternal death, under the wrath of the great God, is all they are to look for. The end of the dominion of sin is to give them up unto the curse of the law and power of the devil for evermore. :
Fourthly, It keeps men off from the participation of all real good, here and hereafter. What men under the power of sin do enjoy will quickly appear to be “a thing of nought.” In the meantime, they have
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556 OF THE DOMINION OF SIN AND GRACE.
not the least taste of the love of God; which alone takes out the poison of their enjoyments. They have not the least view of the glory of Christ; without which they live in perpetual darkness, like those who never behold the light nor sun. They have no experience of the sweetness and excellency of the gracious influences of life, and strength, and comfort, from the Holy Ghost, nor of that satisfaction and reward which is in holy obedience; nor shall ever come to the enjoyment of God.